Hudson 9th locality to opt-in to Good Cause Eviction
HUDSON, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The state’s Good Cause Eviction law allows localities to set their own definition of a landlord and establish what fair market rent is. Since April, nine localities in the state – outside of New York City – have chosen to opt-in.
After the Hudson Common Council voted to opt-in to Good Cause Eviction on Tuesday night, renters in the city will soon have stronger tenant protections.
Tenants like Jacqueline Canarte. She said five years ago her rent was $850 and it gradually increased to $1,450 and that’s what it’s been until earlier this year.
“Three months ago I was paying $1,450 in rent monthly and from one month to the other they wanted me to pay $2,500,” said Canarte, through a translator.
Canarte said she couldn’t afford that and negotiated with the landlord, who agreed to increase her rent to $1,850, which is what she’s paying now. She said they’ve never missed a rent payment and her family was overwhelmed by the news.
“Very sad, I felt very sad. My husband couldn’t sleep. This is the place where we’ve lived for 18 years. We have so many friends in the community, neighbors. We’ve never had a problem with anybody. It hit very hard. My kids were raised here, it was difficult,” said Canarte.
Political Director at For The Many Brahvan Ranga explains what Good Cause Eviction does.
“What it’ll do is prevent tenants from getting displaced, prevent these kinds of rent increases that are forcing out families that have lived in these communities for years and it will also give tenants a level of security in their homes and allow them to ask for repairs or plan for a future without the fear of getting evicted from their homes arbitrarily,” said Ranga.
Good Cause Eviction passed with 7 yes votes. However, not everyone is on board. Council member Vicky Daskaloudi recused herself from the vote because she has been a landlord in Columbia County for 25 years. She feels the law is incomplete and will have unintended consequences
“You can evict a tenant if you have a family member that needs to occupy the place, with exception if the tenant has a disability or is over 65,” said Daskaloudi. “I think that it’s very poorly designed because right now what that means is if I’m a landlord then I’m going to discriminate against those groups, the disabled and the over 65, because I know I will not be able to evict them.”
She does want to see rents stabilized but thinks this version of Good Cause doesn’t help the most vulnerable.
“The other part I don’t like, the landlords are going to do such a tough screening. And only the ones who have high credit or great credit history are going to be the only ones who can get a place,” said Daskaloudi. She said she wants a law that works for everyone.
Hudson joins the cities of Albany, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Ithaca, Beacon and the villages of Nyack and New Paltz.
“But the fact that so many cities have opted in, in just a few months, is a testament both to the need for this legislation and the power of upstate tenant organizing. We don’t have all the money that real estate does, but we do have people power and that’s come out in force in the last couple months,” said Ranga.
He said passing this transformative law stops homelessness at the root of the problem but it expires in 10 years.
“This is only the first step. There is additional legislation that we are pushing for on the local and state level that will further help address the housing crisis,” said Ranga.
As for Canarte, she said they’re looking to become homeowners to avoid these issues from resurfacing for them in the future.
“I feel very happy. I feel joyful that it passed not only for myself, but for all of the other people who are in a similar position as me,” said Canarte.
The mayor will hold a public hearing later this month before it is officially signed into law.