WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JANUARY 20, 2022 13
With end of eviction moratorium, New Yorkers are at risk of losing their homes
BY RIGAUD NOEL AND YOSELYN
GOMEZ
Hundreds of thousands of New
Yorkers are at risk of losing
their homes this year — let that
sink in.
With the eviction moratorium expired
as of Jan. 15, our communities
are now facing a massive eviction
crisis that will continue to destabilize
neighborhoods that have been desperately
trying to recover following
the impacts of the pandemic. This is
an absolute outrage, and something
must be done to protect the people of
our city and our state.
Across the city, neighborhoods have
been disproportionately impacted by
unemployment and COVID-19 hospitalizations
and deaths during the
pandemic. We continue to see some
of the highest rates of rent burden,
in addition to a high number of eviction
cases filed since March 2020.
Approximately 25% of eviction cases
fi led statewide are in the Bronx alone.
And now, the rising surge of omicron
cases is coinciding with the ending
of pandemic benefi ts programs such
as the Emergency Rental Assistance
Program (ERAP).
Throughout the pandemic, New
York state has been a leader nationwide
in keeping its people safe in their
homes by off ering protections from
evictions and creating a robust $2.1
billion rent relief program; however,
that job is not done. Unfortunately,
roughly 75% of New Yorkers estimated
to be behind on rent were left out of
ERAP, and even among those whose
applications were approved, many did
not receive the full amount owed and/
or still haven’t been able to pay since
sending their application.
For New York City’s 2.5 million rentregulated
tenants, the Rent Guidelines
Board voted to raise rents starting in
October 2021, exacerbating the issue
of rent debt. To date, there are more
than 225,000 eviction cases that have
been fi led across New York, with 40%
of cases in New York City being fi led
in the Bronx. With current estimates
showing more than a million New
Yorkers owing rent, this number
could now double.
In the Bronx, at the height of the
pandemic in June 2020, we saw the
nation’s highest rate of unemployment
at 24.9%, and the numbers continue to
show little sign of bouncing back. The
most recent estimates from October
2021 show that unemployment rates
have dropped to 11.7%, still the highest
in New York City. The same Bronx ZIP
codes that refl ected these unemployment
rates also had the highest rate
of hospitalizations and deaths from
OP-ED
COVID-19 for the first year of the
pandemic. We are once again experiencing
a concerning rise in COVID-19
cases, while numerous studies demonstrate
eviction moratoria allow
people to shelter safely and reduce the
number of needless deaths of people
of color.
We know there is a growing crisis —
so now what are we doing to save these
people from losing their homes and
being forced into congregate shelters?
Action must be taken to develop longterm
solutions to pandemic-related
rent debt, and ultimately prevent further
destabilization of communities
throughout the Bronx and across the
state. It’s critical that our state leadership
take action to protect tenants by
taking the following actions:
• Re-opening ERAP with enough
funding to meet the remaining rent
debt, consisting of at least $2 billion
in rent arrears
• Passing statewide Right to Counsel
legislation to give access to legal
representation for all New Yorkers
fi ghting for eviction cases
• Passing Good Cause Eviction legislation
to ensure renters have the right
to remain
New Yorkers’ livelihoods are at
stake, and we should do everything
we can to protect the people of our
great city and state as we continue to
rebuild throughout this public health
crisis.
Rigaud Noel is the Executive Director
of New Settlement. Yoselyn Gomez is the
Community Action for Safe Apartments
Leader for New Settlement.
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