Some Bronx residents are making their voices heard ahead of an upcoming community public hearing, asking for a rent-controlled community. 

This comes as protesters, many of whom say they are immigrants, claim that their rent has doubled or tripled, reaching a point where they struggle to make payments. 

"We need a reasonable rent freeze for us to stabilize ourselves, because right now we're going through a lot... our essential products that we need we don't have enough money to buy them for the month," said tenant Nelia Ruiz.

Members of Community Action for Safe Apartments told News 12 that their current living conditions do not match the proposed rent hike prices. On May 2, the mayor’s office proposed a rent hike for city tenants in rent-stabilized apartments following a Rent Guidelines Board preliminary vote.  

The vote was in favor of a maximum rent increase of between 2% and 5% for one-year leases and between 4% and 7% on two-year leases in rent-controlled units.