
New York City will “face a flood of evictions for non-payment of rent” when the moratorium on evictions imposed by the state is lifted.
New York Daily News reports: “At least 126,000 New York City households that pay rent lost much of their income in March and have little savings to cushion the blow, according to a new study.
“The findings, released Monday by the non-profit Community Service Society, show that the city will “face a flood of evictions for non-payment of rent” when the moratorium on evictions imposed by the state is lifted.
“Governor Cuomo first announced the 90-day moratorium on March 20.”
Oksana Mironova, a CSS housing policy analyst said: “The eviction moratorium is an important first step, but it is not enough to address the dire needs of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers pushed further into housing insecurity as a result of the pandemic.
“We need a rent suspension or rent relief to help people stay afloat in the months ahead.”
Even before COVID-19 swept through the city, renters earning low wages — defined by CSS as those earning under 200 percent of the federal poverty line or $41,000 for a family of three — have not had it easy, the report said.
“According to the Community Service Society, last year 30 percent fell behind on rent, 20 percent had utilities shut off and 15 percent were threatened with eviction.
“Additional research from the group found that 70 percent of low-income New Yorkers have less than $1,000 in savings for an emergency.”
The report concluded: “Recently expanded unemployment insurance — covering more workers, with higher weekly benefits — will help some, but will only partially replace wages and leave out important segments of the New York City workforce, like undocumented workers.”
“Without additional action by the state, accumulating rent arrears will propel hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers into debt and years of housing insecurity.”
Cuomo has so far stood by his decision to temporarily suspend all evictions for 90 days, saying nothing more is needed at the moment.
At a news conference last Thursday, he said: “I don’t think anyone can sit here and tell you what the right plan is … 90 days from now.”