Evictions decreased by 30% in Queens last year under new state tenant protections
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A tenant demonstrates for expanded protections against evictions at a rally last year. Eagle photo by Paul Frangipane
By David Brand and Rachel Vick
Evictions in Queens decreased by nearly a third in the first six months under new state tenant protections, according to eviction data published Friday by the city.
A total of 1,686 individuals or families were evicted in Queens from June 14 to Dec. 31 of last year — 30.4 percent fewer than the same time period in 2018, when marshals carried out 2,291 evictions, according to the city data.
Across New York City, evictions decreased by 18 percent between June 14, 2019 and Dec. 31, 2019, compared to the same time period in 2018. There were 8,951 evictions citywide from June 14 to Dec. 31, 2019 compared to 10,958 in that time frame in 2018.
The significant reduction suggests a major impact of state tenant protections that took effect in June 2019, according to the Legal Aid Society attorneys who analyzed the data.
“These laws and programs are noticeably working and more New Yorkers are remaining in their homes as a result,” said Judith Goldiner, attorney-in-charge of the Civil Law Reform Unit at The Legal Aid Society.
The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, which became law last June, enacted a package of protections that stop landlords from evicting tenants who complain about conditions, that force landlords to give notice before terminating a lease or raising rent and that deal with other issues that have worked against tenants in eviction proceedings.
Other components of the law enable tenants in non-payment proceedings to pay all the rent they owe and prevent an eviction and compel courts to give tenants 30 days to correct problems if they violated their lease.
“It’s a long overdue reversal, overturning rapid loss of affordable housing over time,” tenants’ attorney Kenny Schaefer told the Eagle Monday inside Queens Housing Court. “There weren’t sufficient laws and enough attorneys for low-income [residents]; so many low/middle income families were forced out.”
Attorney Robert Cecere said the new laws have gone too far, however.
“I see them causing issues in the long run,” Cecere said. “Building values plummeted after because there’s less of a push for landlords to keep up with repairs. They can’t afford to cover court expenses or keep up over extended timelines.”
“Smaller landlords can’t afford it,” he added. “There’s lessening interest of people to take [property ownership] on.”
In addition to the state protections, New York City has also enacted a right to counsel program for low-income tenants in housing court. The program enables tenants to secure an attorney to represent them in eviction proceedings.
“No person should lose their home because they cannot afford a lawyer,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio in December 2019.
Nevertheless, the city could do a better job reaching tenants, said a woman named Sylvia from Bayshore, Long Island. She was visiting Queens Housing Court with her mother, who faces eviction.
“They don’t always put out the information for the tenants in a way that they can understand,” Sylvia said.
