By Maria Rocha-Buschel
New legislation from a Queens Councilmember about hostels may provide residents weary of transients with some relief.
Councilman Mark Weprin introduced legislation this month that would legalize the construction, regulation and operation of licensed youth hostels in commercial districts throughout the city.
City Councilmember Margaret Chin, who represents the Lower East Side, is cosponsoring the legislation and said she hopes that hostels will take some of the pressure off of residential areas flooded with illegal rentals.
“Opening fully legal and licensed youth hostels will allow young people to enjoy the hostel experience without ending up in an illegal short-term rental, which can be unsafe and cause quality of life problems for residents of my Lower Manhattan district and all across the city,” she said.
The legislation would allow for the construction of hostels only in commercial areas, in order to prevent illegal hotel activity in residential areas already overwhelmed by temporary subletters.
The city does not presently have a law that legalizes youth hostels. Former Assemblyman Jerry Kremer, who is an advocate for youth hostels, explained that legislation passed by Governor David Patterson in 2010 eliminating Single Room Occupancy (SRO) entities had the downside of eliminating hostels.
