By Nelson A. King
State Democratic Sen. Zellnor
Myrie says he and his colleagues
Wednesday night passed legislation
to revise and extend New York’s eviction
moratorium.
The senator, who represents the
20th Senate District in Central
Brooklyn, told constituents in an
email message that newly-installed
governor, Kathy Hochul, convened
a special session of the Legislature
to consider extending the moratorium,
which had been set to expire
on Aug. 31.
Myrie, whose grand-mother hailed
from Jamaica, said the new moratorium
will be in effect through Jan.
15, 2022.
“Tenants may stay an eviction proceeding
by filing a Hardship Declaration
Form with their landlord or
with the court,” he said. “Landlords
will have the opportunity to challenge
a tenant’s hardship declaration
in court.”
The senator said landlords may
also file a similar form to prevent
foreclosures or liens on their property,
if they are facing financial hardship,
due to nonpayment of rent.
“Banks and lien holders will have
the opportunity to challenge landlords’
hardship declaration forms, as
well,” Myrie said.
He said other legislation passed
in the State Senate on Wednesday
extends the Tenant Safe Harbor Act,
adds new funding for legal services
for tenants facing evictions, and
increases funding available to landlords
who would not otherwise qualify
for the Emergency Rental Assistance
Program (ERAP).
“Today’s actions were a necessary
step to protect vulnerable tenants
facing eviction, and provides assistance
to landlords facing financial
difficulty, as well,” Myrie said. “I have
been clear that, during this pandemic,
allowing people to remain in their
homes is an economic necessity and
a public health imperative.
“I believe this legislation strikes
the right balance and will allow us
to avoid a tidal wave of evictions that
would exacerbate our housing crisis,
drive up homelessness, and, in turn,
worsen the pandemic,” he added.
In the meantime, Myrie urged tenants
and landlords facing financial
hardship to apply for ERAP.
“In these difficult times, we must
not and will not turn our backs on
our neighbors facing financial hardships,”
he assured. “Please reach out
to our office if we can be of service
with a housing issue or any other
matter.”
Caribbean Life, SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2021 3
A bus navigates past abandoned cars on a fl ooded highway, as local media reported the remnants of Tropical
Storm Ida bringing drenching rain and the threat of fl ash fl oods and tornadoes to parts of the northern mid-
Atlantic, in the Queens borough of New York City, U.S., Sept. 2, 2021. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
NY, NJ declare emergencies, at least
nine reported dead in record rains
By Kanishka Singh
(Reuters) -The governors of New
York and New Jersey declared a state of
emergency late on Wednesday as recordbreaking
rains from tropical storm Ida
led to flooding and hazardous conditions
on the roads, with media reporting at
least nine deaths.
“I am declaring a state of emergency
to help New Yorkers affected by tonight’s
storm,” New York Governor Kathy
Hochul said on Twitter.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
described the flooding and weather on
Wednesday night as a “historic weather
event”. The National Weather Service
issued a flash flood emergency in New
York City for the first time.
At least one person was killed as the
flooding inundated the New Jersey city of
Passaic, Mayor Hector Lora told CNN.
NBC New York reported that one more
person had died in New Jersey and seven
had died in New York City, including a
2-year-old boy. Local media reported that
people had been trapped in their basements
as the storm sent water surging
through the city.
Lora said the body of a man in his
seventies was retrieved from floodwaters.
The vehicle the man was riding in was
swept away by the water and firefighters
were swept under the vehicle, preventing
them reaching him, CNN reported.
Nearly all New York City subway lines
were suspended late on Wednesday as
the remnants of Ida brought torrential
rain and the threat of flash floods and
tornadoes to parts of the northern mid–
Atlantic, CNN reported earlier.
All non-emergency vehicles were
banned from New York City’s streets
until 5 a.m. (0900 GMT) on Thursday
due to the weather, city authorities said
on Twitter.
At least five flash flood emergencies
were issued on Wednesday evening by
the National Weather Service, stretching
from west of Philadelphia through
northern New Jersey.
Earlier in the night, New Jersey Governor
Phil Murphy also declared a state
of emergency. He wrote on Twitter that
81,740 power outages were reported late
on Wednesday.
A tornado swept through New Jersey’s
Gloucester County, damaging multiple
homes, according to CNN affiliate
WPVI.
All New Jersey Transit rail services
apart from the Atlantic City Rail
Line were suspended due to the extreme
weather, the service said on its website.
The storm damage from Ida had
astounded officials on Wednesday, three
days after the powerful hurricane pounded
southern Louisiana, and reconnaissance
flights revealed entire communities
devastated by wind and floods.
Tornadoes spawned by the storm
ripped through parts of Pennsylvania
and New Jersey, images on social media
showed.
New Jersey’s Newark Liberty Airport
said on Twitter it was experiencing
“severe flooding“. It said it resumed “limited
flight operations” close to midnight
after all flight activity was suspended late
on Wednesday.
Social media images showed water
gushing over New York City’s subway
platforms and trains. Subway service was
“extremely limited” due to the flooding,
the Metropolitan Transit Authority said.
First responders evacuated people
from the subway system, the acting chair
and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority, Janno Lieber, said in a
statement.
De Blasio urged people to stay home.
“Please stay off the streets tonight
and let our first responders and emergency
services get their work done. If
you’re thinking of going outside, don’t.
Stay off the subways. Stay off the roads.
Don’t drive into these heavy waters. Stay
inside”, he wrote on Twitter.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in
Bengaluru; additional reporting by Ann
Maria Shibu and Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru
and Sarah Morland in Gdansk;
Editing by Christopher Cushing, Shri
Navaratnam and Hugh Lawson)
A woman waits by the entrance of
Rector Street subway station as the
service is delayed after heavy rainfall
in New York City, New York, U.S.,
Sept. 2, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
NY extends
eviction
moratorium