In addition to affecting certain low- and moderate-income buildings, the rent control amendment ordinance that Councilman Steve Hudock proposed would also make a change pertaining to owner-occupied two-family homes. This change is unrelated to the other changes. This change would allow owners of those homes to take them off of rent control when a tenant voluntarily leaves. Officials say that the proposed change is intended to provide an incentive to owners who rent out an apartment in their homes to make improvements to them once their tenants leave. “If we are going to do things to protect tenants, then I think it is fair to protect homeowners too,” said Hudock. “The fear out there is that owner-occupied two-family home decontrol will lead to total decontrol, but that will not happen.” But a number of residents who attended the meeting wondered why the provision was added to a resolution that city officials are presenting as a “must-pass” piece of legislation. Still others said that they did not believe the change was warranted. “These homeowners knew what the law was when they got into this situation in the first place,” said John Branciforte. “There does not seem to be a compelling reason to change it.” One councilman said that he thought the issue should be considered separately from the entire package. “They are really mixing apples and oranges here,” said City Councilman Tony Soares after the meeting. But Hudock says that the entire package was put together to try and help middle-income families make ends meet in Hoboken. “This entire ordinance will benefit middle-income people in town who always get forgotten,” he said. “The rich can take care of themselves and the poor receive subsidies, but the middle-income people always get left out.”