Landlord group was one of biggest spenders on lobbyists last year

Landlords spent big last year to oppose the passage of “good cause” eviction protections at the state level. According to the annual lobbying report from the state Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government, the landlord group “Homeowners for an Affordable New York” was the seventh-largest spender on lobbyists in the state in 2022. The organization, a coalition of landlords and groups that represent their interests, formed early last year and then spent a total of $1.4 million to lobby state officials against the passage of the tenant protections backed by progressives. All of that money – which included the single largest payment to a lobbyist last year – went to just one firm, Fontas Advisers.

Real estate interests haven’t made it onto the list of top spenders on lobbyists for the past several years. The last time a real estate industry lobbying group cracked the top 10 came in 2019, when the state rent regulation laws came up for renewal. That year, the similarly-named group Taxpayers for an Affordable New York, which unsuccessfully lobbied against major  changes to the state’s rent laws, spent just under $4 million to try to influence lawmakers and state officials – making it the top spender on lobbyists in the state.

“Good cause” eviction legislation has become a housing hot potato in recent years. Progressives and tenant advocates have pushed lawmakers to adopt the legislation that would greatly increase tenant protections, while landlords and real estate groups have largely shifted gears from lobbying in favor of favorable policies to lobbying against that legislation. While local versions of the “good cause” eviction law have passed in the Hudson Valley, efforts to enact the policy statewide have not yet borne fruit, and local landlords have challenged the already-enacted versions in court.