By Maria Rocha-Buschel
State Senator Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, along with State Senator Liz Krueger, introduced the NYS Tenant Safe Harbor Act on Tuesday in order to further protect tenants from eviction beyond Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 90-day eviction moratorium.
The new bill would prohibit landlords from evicting tenants for non-payment of rent that accrued during the State of Emergency and for six months after the State of Emergency’s eventual end. Cuomo’s executive order prevents landlords from evicting tenants for 90 days, which will be in effect until at least June 20, but tenants who can’t afford to pay all of the rent owed once the moratorium ends could face immediate eviction. The legislation, sponsored by Hoylman and Dinowitz and co-sponsored by Krueger, would protect these tenants from being evicted for non-payment of rent that accrued during the State of Emergency that started on March 7, through six months after the State of Emergency ends.
“The governor’s 90-day eviction moratorium was a good first step to protect tenants from losing their homes during the COVID-19 crisis. But it’s not enough,” Hoylman said. “Unless we act, we’ll see a tidal wave of evictions immediately after the moratorium ends when tenants who’ve lost income are suddenly forced to pay several months’ worth of rent. Our legislation prevents an impending eviction disaster by providing tenants who’ve lost their jobs a safe harbor to get healthy and back on their feet while our country recovers from this economic disaster.”