Eviction Ban's End Leaves NYC Tenants With Few Options

NEW YORK CITY — New York City won't slam the door on helping thousands of tenants who could lose their homes after a statewide eviction moratorium ends Saturday, Mayor Eric Adams said.

"I want you to know that New York City government is here to protect you," he said Thursday.

But Adams' promise might not be enough — New York City's government's help to renters is largely limited to existing protections and helping connect tenants through resources by 311.

The eviction moratorium proved a crucial lifeline for New Yorkers hit hard financially by the coronavirus pandemic. About 200,000 eviction cases are pending in the city's housing courts, THE CITY reported, although it's unclear how many of those fall under protected COVID-19 hardships.

The expiration could open the floodgates to thousands of evictions during the winter and amid a massive COVID-19 surge.

The ban has been extended time and again, but Gov. Kathy Hochul so far remained silent on whether she'd extend it. And cold hard cash is in short supply — New York lawmakers have been frustrated that the state only received $27 million out of a hoped-for $1 billion in federal rent relief.

Adams, in a news conference outside Manhattan civil court, called the paltry sum "insulting to our state." He called on the federal government to "step up" and help keep New Yorkers in their homes by an immediate increase in aid.

“New York City has the highest rent in the nation,” he said. “One-third of renters here spend 50 percent of their income on rent.”

The city is launching a wide campaign to ensure New Yorkers know their rights, Adams said.

He said they should know three things:

• Lockouts are illegal.
• Every New Yorker has the right to legal counsel for free.
• All tenants who need relief should apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program by doing so here by Saturday.

New Yorkers who experiences lockouts, needs legal help or any other assistance should call 311 and ask for the tenant helpline.

Housing advocates and many lawmakers have pressed Gov. Kathy Hochul to pass a "Good Cause Eviction" bill that provides eviction protections.

"New York must pass #GoodCause legislation to help stop illegal eviction tactics by unscrupulous landlords and provide meaningful protection to renters across the state," The Legal Aid Society tweeted.

Legal Aid Society attorneys also helped restart the state rental relief application which halted weeks ago. They prevailed in a court ruling to have the application portal reopen.

“We urge all New Yorkers in need of rent relief to immediately apply for funds through the OTDA web portal, as a pending application will provide temporary protection from eviction, regardless of whether the state receives additional funding," Ed Josephson, the group's supervising attorney in its Civil Law Reform Unit, said in a statement.

But as Josephson alluded to, there might not be enough money to go around.

Hochul, along with several of her fellow governors, wrote federal Treasury to reallocate rental relief funds to the state.

"We were disappointed in the amount of additional rental relief funds available from the U.S. Treasury to be reallocated to New York, and given that our Emergency Rental Assistance Program portal already reopened this week, I am asking the Treasury to revisit its process," she said in a statement. "It is crucial that we not give struggling tenants and landlords false hope for long-awaited financial relief when—without federal intervention—there is no funding to support them, and I thank California, New Jersey, and Illinois for joining us in this important effort."