The New York Council convened an extraordinary special session to pass a measure between this holiday season to address the pandemic's hardship. On Monday, as the state copes with high levels of job loss caused by the pandemic that has taken more than 330,000 American lives, the New York Legislature passed one of the most comprehensive anti-eviction laws in the nation.
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As the dreading eviction ban expires on Dec. 31, which has kept tenants in their homes even as they fell months behind their rent, the New York Legislature acted quickly and assembled a special session between Christmas and New Year's to pass a new measure. Under the new rule, in almost all cases, landlords cannot force evict most tenants for at least another 60 days as tenants and advocacy groups have been fighting. They would also protect some small landlords from foreclosure and inevitably renew tax exemptions for elderly or disabled homeowners.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo immediately signed the bill, and instantly compelling. The urgency mirrored a national concern over the fate of millions of tenants who lost jobs. Access to job opportunities became low as the pandemic continues to shrink the economy.
The bill's passage was a relief for occupants like 40-year old Vincia Barber, a tenant in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, who lost her nanny job and hasn't paid rent in months.
Ms. Barber said, "This is the best thing they could do for us today," which furthered that two of her kinsfolks had passed away from the coronavirus.
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As the bill becomes law in New York, boarders like Ms. Barber can defend their New York homes by submitting a document stating financial adversity caused by coronavirus pandemic. According to a database maintained by a consulting firm, Stout, as many as 1.2 million New York households are at risk of being removed from their homes.
For eviction cases in courts, the law will pause proceedings for at least 60 days. Until at least May 1 next year, the bill would not permit landowners to start new eviction proceedings.
At variance that the law didn't sufficiently differentiate tenants with resources and those without, some property-owners resisted the measure. They said the new law paid too little attention to them, facing reduced financial resources, as tenants fall behind on rent and commercial space renters go out of business.
However, the legislation tries to address those concerns by making it harder for financial institutions to foreclose on smaller proprietors who are struggling to pay bills and mortgages.
The state's emergency action comes after President Trump signed a $900 billion relief package on Sunday, which included $1.3 billion New Yorkers rental relief and an extended federal eviction moratorium. The state and federal legislation speak to the unwarranted financial situation nine months into the pandemic, facing millions of Americans.
New York acted to plug holes in a federal moratorium that housing advocates say does not do enough to protect tenants from losing homes. The requirements to qualify for eviction protection seemed burdensome.
