The Rochester City Council has approved the strongest possible version of Good Cause eviction protections, making it the largest city in New York to opt into the law.
Council members approved the measure Tuesday night by a vote of 7-2, with Council Vice President LaShay Harris and Councilmember Michael Patterson voting, "No.”
The legislation, as approved, provides the strongest rent protections allowable under state law. The implementation of the bill is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
“A lot has happened in Rochester,” said Council President Miguel Meléndez. “The pandemic and eviction moratorium had created a backlog of past due rent payments and evictions. The market responded with rent increases, with some neighborhoods impacted more than others.
“Both sides have faced challenges, and I want to say Good Cause is not a panacea,” he continued. “It is not going to resolve all of the issues our housing market faces.”
Prior to the vote, Council members amended the bill to exempt only those landlords who own a single rental unit– instead of those owning fewer than 10, as was initially proposed. That move matches other cities around the state that have voted to opt into Good Cause and vastly reduces the number of units exempt from Good Cause protections.
Good Cause was signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul in April. The law, at its most basic, caps rent increases at 10% and ensures tenants in good standing a right to renew their leases. Evictions for nonpayment, nuisances, and violations of lease are still allowed under the law.
Proponents have said it will protect tenants from frivolous evictions and massive rent increases, while opponents have argued it would disincentivize the creation of affordable housing and make it difficult for landlords to remove problem tenants by way of nonrenewal.
Rochester first considered a version of Good Cause in 2022, introduced by the minority progressive bloc of Council made up of Stanley Martin, Mary Lupien, and Kim Smith.
Smith, a longtime housing advocate, credited the law making it back before Council with the state’s support, as a victory for both local and state activist groups.
“They have tirelessly and effortlessly continued to champion Good Cause eviction and now, today, it is the elected officials that are simply taking the vote and closing the loop,” Smith said. “But the heroes here are the social justice movement organizations.”
Among those groups that have rallied for Good Cause is the Rochester City-Wide Tenant Union. Organizer Lisle Coleman said that Good Cause is a victory, but it does not address the deeper needs in Rochester housing.
“We need to have safe affordable housing for all people that’s state-backed in order to really make housing as a human right a reality,” Coleman said.
In voting against the legislation, Harris and Patterson offered similar sentiments that the law would throw all eviction into the courts and could lead to rent increases anyway from landlords who will automatically opt for the 10% maximum increase.
Patterson referred to the bill as “Albany run wild legislation” and derisively likened the bill to the Bail Elimination Act of 2019 and Raise the Age criminal justice reform.
“Over and over again, we seem to be looking to the courts for solutions,” Patterson said. “So, we really want to drive more traffic to the courts? We want to trust the courts to get this right on objectionable tenancy?”
Harris, meanwhile, referred to the legislation as “basically socialism” and said it would only exacerbate the need for good quality housing.
“We need more housing, that’s what we need,” Harris said. “This is not a silver bullet for our housing problems, this legislation will not correct our housing problems. This will lead to a trickledown effect. This will ultimately increase the cost of rent in our market.”
Meléndez, who had spearheaded the amendment process to strengthen the bill, cautioned that the city will be methodical in implementing the legislation.
Three companion bills were also approved Tuesday night: one to lead an education campaign for both tenants and landlords, one to issue a request for qualifications for an organization to study the effects of Good Cause, and another to create a taskforce to oversee the implementation of the law.
“We have to face the reality that poverty, housing, and justice are all interrelated, and that we as a government body have a duty and a responsibility to focus on the needs and the challenges of our constituents,” Meléndez said.
