A Manhattan state senator wants renters to band together to increase their leverage with landlords when the eviction moratorium ends.
Sen. Brad Hoylman proposed a new measure for the Manhattan borough president’s office to organize tenants to work out deals with landlords, according to the New York Daily News. The federal eviction moratorium ends in June and the state moratorium expires May 1.
Hoylman anticipates a “nightmare scenario where money judgments are levied against tenants.” A new study by New York University’s Furman Center showed that households that began 2020 with rent arrears finished the year owing an average of 43 percent more.
Hoylman, a candidate for Manhattan borough president, aims to set up a hotline for tenants to connect with other tenants. He would also provide mediators for talks with landlords, the News reported. The senator claims this “Manhattan Tenant Union” could also benefit landlords by providing an avenue for them to make deals with tenants outside the court system.
[NY Daily News] — Keith Larsen