While Governor Andrew Cuomo extended an ‘eviction ban’ through the start of 2021 – housing and tenant advocates say more needs to be done.
Partly because the ‘ban’ on evictions in New York isn’t technically that. Despite a plethora of media reports indicating that what the Governor signed over the summer was, in fact, a ban on the proceedings – advocates told FingerLakes1.com last month that it was nothing more than a ‘new legal argument’ to be made in court.
The issue: It left the actual decision, as to whether someone was justifiably behind on rent to a judge’s discretion.
To that point, News10NBC recently reported that eviction proceedings continued in the city of Rochester even as the ‘ban’ was active.
The Rochester Housing Justice Alliance says they successfully stopped a family from being evicted this week. “It’s ridiculous what’s going on right now. We’re telling people the numbers are higher with COVID. We’re telling people they need to stay in their houses, but yet this city is allowing evictions to happen and that is unacceptable,” a speaker said at a rally in Rochester.
The City contends that it cannot place a moratorium on evictions, but is researching the issue and assisting people. Meanwhile, advocates are calling on New York State to take fuller action on the matter.
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