Housing activists balk at watered down ‘good cause’ eviction proposal

With some lawmakers feeling bullish about the inclusion of “good cause” eviction in a housing deal, now there are concerns about what version of the bill will make it to the governor’s desk – the one first introduced by state Sen. Julia Salazar and Assembly Member Pamela Hunter, or a different version that makes stark concessions to the real estate industry. Like any compromise, both sides might be a little unhappy with the final deal.

The original “good cause” eviction legislation would prohibit eviction without a good reason and require landlords to justify rent increases above 3%. State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris said it was likely that the bill would find its way into the budget. However, the sponsors themselves have differing views. Earlier this month, Hunter said it was unclear to her if it would pass based on the opposition in her chamber and the amount of lobbying against the bill.

“I’m a realist and I know how we work, and if I’m not hearing anything about rent cap, rent control, rent stabilization – we’re really talking about housing stability – it’s a concern for me,” Hunter said. “We’ve been having this conversation since 2019 and I’ve seen nothing being filled.”

Salazar has a different view and previously told City & State that negotiations were trending well, noting that compromises were inevitable.

The New York Post also reported Monday that Gov. Kathy Hochul was beginning to support the bill as part of a broader housing deal but that there would also be tweaks – exemptions for luxury apartments, a 15-year exemption for new construction and a higher limit, roughly 10%, on rent increases before a lawsuit could be triggered.

Earlier this year, housing activists and organizers feared “good cause” eviction would be turned into “Swiss cheese,” with stipulations and exemptions added to please real estate interests and address the concerns of lawmakers who oppose the bill, many of whom hail from more suburban parts of the state. Hearing of these new developments in negotiations, some housing activists saw their fears realized.

Housing Justice for All Executive Director Cea Weaver said tenants couldn’t stomach the changes being proposed. “I don’t think that tenants in the state would call this ‘Swiss cheese’ version of ‘good cause’ and rollbacks of rent stabilization a victory,” Weaver said. “And we would keep organizing and keep fighting for the real tenant protections that we deserve.”

Small landlords also feel aggrieved about the way that “good cause” negotiations are trending. Ann Korchak, board president of Small Property Owners of New York, wants to see the bill die rather than add more exemptions or tweaks to the language.

“Every time they come up with one more exemption, it’s just to me, like one more acknowledgment that it’s a bad policy that they have to keep making all these exemptions to bully it through,” Korchak said. “It’s just so frustrating to watch it unfold.”

Budget negotiations are expected to drag into next week based on lawmakers’ statements yesterday, and housing is one of many policy areas suspected to be holding up proceedings.