The state legislature has extended the retirement eviction moratorium imposed due to the effects of COVID-19. It was due to expire on May 1. But lawmakers made an urgent decision, important for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. Now the moratorium, which applies to both housing and commercial real estate, will be in effect until the end of August.
“The new respite will bring relief to tenants, homeowners and businesses,” said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stuart-Cousins. “The pandemic has had a devastating effect on all levels, and now the law will give both tenants and property owners the time it takes to get back on their feet.”
The continuation of the moratorium was made possible by the addition of an article in the recently adopted state budget providing for the allocation of an amount of $ 2.4 billion specifically to pay off rental arrears.
The prohibition applies to both the eviction of tenants and the confiscation of real estate in the event that the landlord is unable to pay the mortgage (foreclosure). However, both of them need to prove that they are in a difficult financial situation.
precisely because of the pandemic.
“The Bill will truly save millions of New Yorkers and literally bring them back to life,” said Judith Goldiner, a civil rights lawyer with the Legal Aid Society. But not everyone shares her enthusiastic assessment. Landlord groups oppose the continuation of the moratorium. They believe lawmakers should instead distribute federal aid money to tenants and homeowners. “Another delay will only delay the resolution of the problem,” said Joseph Strasberg, president of the Rent Stabilization Association, an organization that brings together 25,000 homeowners.
Newspaper headline:
Moratorium on evictions extended