Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a measure that would prevent evictions from taking place in New York State during the pandemic. The eviction moratorium barred cases from moving forward if a tenant declared pandemic-related economic hardship by filing a form, rather than providing evidence in court. Landlords pushed back on the moratorium, stating they had no legal recourse to challenge tenants’ claims.
Meanwhile, new good cause eviction protections recently passed in Albany, and housing activists in Rochester say other cities should follow suit. The law protects tenants from facing holdover evictions by giving them the right to renew their tenancy, enhancing their right to organize, and providing protections against unreasonable rent hikes. Landlords could still evict tenants for nonpayment and other issues.
We discuss the law with housing rights advocates and landlords. Our guests:
- Barbara Rivera, lead tenant organizer for the City-Wide Tenant Union of Rochester
- Clianda Florence-Yarde, tenant, educator, mother, and community member
- John Chapin, landlord
