Over 70 Organizations Call On Governor Kathy Hochul to Pass “Good Cause Eviction”

Letters /

Dear Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie,

The following signatories colleagues actively representing tens of thousands of tenants across New York State urge you to prioritize  “Good Cause” legislation (S3082/A5573) next session, and to work with tenants, homeless New Yorkers, and advocates to ensure speedy passage of this legislation into law.

Despite progress combating the pandemic and returning the state to a sense of normalcy, millions of New Yorkers have lost their jobs, and many who were already struggling to survive remain at their absolute breaking point. 

Roughly ​​1.6 million unregulated households​ across New York State continue to be in desperate need of additional protections to ensure that the devastating social and economic consequences of the pandemic are not allowed to turn a public health crisis into an eviction and homelessness crisis. We must act now to prevent this inequity from compounding once COVID-19 completely subsides.

“Good Cause” legislation would prohibit the eviction of residential tenants or the non-renewal of residential leases without legitimate reason, and would require landlords to have “just cause” to evict a tenant in an unregulated housing unit. Since the bill was introduced in 2019, tens of thousands of people across the state have faced eviction. Many of those people would have remained in their homes had their unregulated apartments received the minimal protections “Good Cause” would provide.

The “Good Cause” housing movement is spreading across the nation, with California, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, and other major cities and states having already given unregulated tenants critical protections to remain in their homes. Just days ago, Hudson, NY passed “Good Cause” Eviction legislation for renters, becoming the second municipality in the state – after Albany – to do so. The city of Kingston, NY has also introduced the law, and dozens of other localities are considering similar action.

“Good Cause” is budget neutral and has received broad public support. In a 2020 poll, nearly ​80% of New Yorkers support passing Good Cause legislation, and a majority of Democratic state senators and assembly members have signed on to the bill.  

This is the time for bold moves and legislation that will overhaul antiquated housing policy that hurts vulnerable families and one that institutes universal protections that will keep renters safe. 

If nothing is done, and after the eviction moratorium eventually expires, it is only a matter of months before New York grapples with an unprecedented eviction crisis.

Amid this ongoing and unprecedented public health crisis, keeping New Yorkers in their homes is vital to lessening the devastation caused by COVID-19. We urge you to protect tenants from eviction by passing “Good Cause” legislation into law.

Sincerely,

Housing Justice for All members and allies including,

  1. 89th Street Tenants Unidos Association
  2. Broome Street Tenants Alliance
  3. Buffalo Democratic Socialists of America
  4. CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities
  5. Campaign for NY Health
  6. Carroll Gardens Association
  7. CASA-New Settlement
  8. Citizen Action of New York
  9. City-Wide Tenant Union of Rochester
  10. Chhaya
  11. Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC)
  12. Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH)
  13. Community Service Society
  14. Community Voices Heard
  15. Cooper Square Committee 
  16. Crown Heights Tenant Union
  17. DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving
  18. Free the People WNY Coalition
  19. Fifth Avenue Committee
  20. Flatbush Tenants Coalition
  21. For the Many
  22. Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES)
  23. Greenbrook Tenants Coalition
  24. Housing Conservation Coordinators
  25. Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition
  26. Housing Organizers for People Empowerment
  27. Housing Rights Initiative
  28. Housing Works
  29. Hunger Free America
  30. Ithaca Tenants Union
  31. JustFix
  32. The Legal Aid Society
  33. Long Island Progressive Coalition
  34. Los Sures Lucha
  35. Lower Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists of America
  36. Make the Road New York
  37. Met Council on Housing
  38. Mid Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists of America
  39. Morningside Heights Resistance
  40. Nassau County Democratic Socialists of America
  41. Neighbors Helping Neighbors
  42. Neighbors Together
  43. New York City Democratic Socialists of America
  44. New York Communities for Change
  45. New York State Tenants & Neighbors 
  46. New York Working Families Party
  47. Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition
  48. NY4NY
  49. Partnership for the Homeless
  50. Partnership for the Public Good
  51. Pratt Center for Community Development
  52. PUSH (People United for Sustainable Housing) Buffalo
  53. Release Aging People in Prison Campaign
  54. Resource Generation NYC
  55. Ridgewood Tenants Union 
  56. Right to Counsel NYC Coalition 
  57. Riverside Edgecomb Neighborhood Alliance (RENA)
  58. Safety Net Project – Urban Justice Center
  59. Southside United HDFC-Los Sures 
  60. Southwest Brooklyn Tenant Union
  61. St. Nicks Alliance
  62. Suffolk County Democratic Socialists of America
  63. Syracuse Democratic Socialists of America
  64. Syracuse Tenants Union
  65. TakeRoot Justice
  66. Tenants Political Action Committee
  67. Together We Will Long Island
  68. Troy Democratic Socialists of America
  69. Westside Neighborhood Alliance (WSNA)
  70. Woodside On The Move
  71. United Neighbors Organization (UNO)
  72. Uptown Community Democrats
  73. VOCAL-NY
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