Lawmakers Extend NY Eviction Moratorium Till August

NEW YORK CITY — Lawmakers gave evictions in New York another kick of the can.

An eviction moratorium for residential and commercial will extend until the end of August under a measure passed the state Assembly and Senate. It currently awaits Gov. Andrew Cuomo's signature.

The bill could provide a "lifeline" to families from Brooklyn to Buffalo that have relied on during the coronavirus pandemic, Judith Goldiner, the attorney-in-charge of the Legal Aid Society's Civil Law Reform Unit, said in a statement.

"Governor Cuomo should sign this bill into law without delay," she said.

The bill — as with other previous extensions of eviction moratoriums — allows tenants to claim a hardship exemption to eviction. The Assembly and Senate portions were sponsored by Jeffrey Dinowitz and Brian Kavanagh, respectively.

Many housing advocates have stressed the moratorium is necessary to avoid a massive wave of evictions and homelessness in the pandemic. But some landlords, who have felt the pinch from the crisis as well, are itching to recoup rent they lost.

The moratorium comes as the state tries to set up a system to disburse $2.4 billion in rent relief.