This is an old article but I remember hearing about other celebrities who were benefiting from rent controlled apts in NY.
https://fcpp.org/2005/12/19/celebrities-love-new-york-rent-control/
I’ve seen lots of articles like the one you linked over the years. Filthy rich celebs scamming the system and taking apartments for next-to-nothing. Of course, landlords have to raise the rents on their “non rent-stabilized” units to compensate. So the lucky few strike a bonanza and screw everybody else. It always that way with anything subsidized — no different than the juicy tax breaks if you buy an EV. The rich can afford EVs and don’t need the tax break, but they grab it anyway.
All the towns in California must comply with state regulations that say that all new housing projects MUST include “Below Market Rate” units for low-income people. The idea is that you need store clerks, librarians, etc in your town. But there are several big things wrong: 1) the number of units is minuscule compared to need, 2) you, too, can be Life’s Winner in the housing lottery - that’s how the winners are selected, and 3) we’ve often seen people without financial need somehow snag them (just like NYC).
Rents would come down if we deported 30 million illegals and all those housing units became available for AMERICANS.