Skip to content

Back to Our Blog

9.2.21 Advocacy Alert: NYS Extends Eviction Moratorium

Blog Categories

September 2, 2021

Last night, the New York State Legislature convened for a special session to extend the state’s eviction moratorium.  

The moratorium, which prevents the eviction of tenants declaring financial hardship, will remain in place though January 15.  

The move represents Gov. Kathy Hochul’s first legislative action. The bill passed 38-19 in the Senate and 80-60 in the Assembly.  

The move comes in response to last week’s Supreme Court decision nullifying the federal eviction moratorium. New York State had previously imposed its own moratorium through August 31, and was relying on the federal moratorium which ran through October. However, without the federal eviction moratorium in place, New York tenants could have faced eviction beginning September 1.  

The state already has a tool at its disposal to prevent evictions and make landlords whole: the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. However, the disappointingly slow distribution of ERAP funds has left many tenants at risk of eviction. Instead of extending the moratorium, the BNP urged lawmakers to focus on getting ERAP funds to tenants immediately. 

In a welcome letter to Governor Hochul, the BNP urged her to make efficient ERAP distribution a top priority of her first 100 days in office.   

Tenants and landlords in need of assistance should consider applying for ERAP here.   

Full text of the moratorium legislation is available here.  

Related Posts

Building the Future: How the Federal Tech Hub Funding Will Transform Western and Central New York

By mcotter@thepartnership.org | July 18, 2024

The federal funding secured through the Tech Hubs program marks a turning point for Western and Central New York, presenting significant economic opportunities our region. This is just the start of what will be a transformative journey, and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership will continue leading the way with our partners in Rochester and Syracuse.

Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse One Of Only 12 Winners From Across The Nation For Highly Competitive Federal Grant

By communications@thepartnership.org | July 8, 2024

After years of relentless advocacy and landing the prestigious federal Tech Hub designation for the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse that he created in his CHIPS & Science Law, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today announced the “NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub” was just selected as one of only 12 Tech Hub award winners in the nation, bringing a major $40 million in federal funding to further position Upstate NY as a semiconductor center for the world.

4 New HR Mandates Employers Need to Know

By communications@thepartnership.org | July 1, 2024

New employee rights are among the key policy revisions to come out of the 2024-25 New York State budget approved in April. At the BNP’s latest Government Affairs series event, a panel of experts broke down what employers need to know about these HR mandates – some of have already gone into effect. Here are four key takeaways from Policy Perspective.

BNP Hosts County Executive Candidates

By growthzone | September 27, 2023

In preparation for the 2023 elections, the BNP hosted an Erie County Executive Candidate Forum. Both candidates for Erie County’s highest office – incumbent Mark Poloncarz and challenger Chrissy Casilio – were given 45 minutes to address BNP members in a guided discussion.