On July 28th 2025, the Freelizabeth campaign clenched victory in the first of two initiatives in Elizabeth, NJ by reinstating the $20 rent cap for rent controlled buildings. After two months of petitioning, DSA members presented to City Council, with the expectation of the question going to ballot in November, an amended ordinance returning the cap after its removal at the behest of landlords in 2022. After 6 days of deliberation by the Council and pressure from tenants, the Council voted unanimously to bring back the cap.

As of this moment, tenants in rent controlled buildings (those older than 30 years and with 3 or more non-landlord dwelling units) may only see rent hikes of $20 annually for at least the next two years; essentially freezing the rent for thousands of tenants in the state’s fourth largest city.

Comrades, compañeros from Movimiento Cosecha, and neighbors all across Elizabeth are responsible for this win but our fight is not yet over. As of July 28th, an organized group of landlords have sued the City and our petitioners in an effort to nullify the amended ordinance. We’re confident in our defense of the ordinance both on the merits of the nearly 800 petitions collected and the constitutionality of imposing such caps on rent, and soon we’ll level any legal challenge to the cap. Just recently, on September 19th, we won the first of the several challenges to our rent cap and the City’s passage of the ordinance. Show up and support in our remaining court appearances to defend the cap this fall.

Like our comrade New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani has said and done through his campaign, we’re fighting the affordability crisis from within, and Trump’s attacks on democracy from Washington. Moreover, we’re building a movement powered by the working class, and one that can withstand any legal, political and constitutional challenge.

We encourage neighbors to join, donate, and volunteer at freelizabeth.com to help us build the tenants’ movement, defend from legal challenges, and win universal suffrage in such a key city for the movement for socialism.