On Thursday, tenants’ rights and housing justice groups joined Sen. Zellnor Y. Myrie (D-Central Brooklyn) outside Brooklyn Housing Court to demand the passage of the Winter Moratorium on Evictions Act.
The legislation, supported by Myrie, who represents Brooklyn’s 20th Senate District, and Assemblywoman Anna Kelles (D-Ithaca), would prohibit evictions from November 1 through April 15 every year.
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Myrie, whose grandmother was Jamaican, declared that if it was too cold to turn on the heat, it was also too cold to be outside. “We’ve seen over the past few years how preventing evictions is not simply a matter of tenants’ rights; it’s integral to public health and safety.
He continued, “In the midst of a homelessness and housing affordability crisis in this city and state, stopping eviction proceedings during the winter months is an important step towards housing justice for all.”
In addition, two tenants who are presently the subject of eviction proceedings in Brooklyn participated in the news conference.
The Flatbush Tenant Coalition’s Redoneva Andrews, a tenant advocate, emphasized the need of holding negligent landlords accountable. “I believe it’s unfair for my landlord to drag me in court for non-payment when he has tons of rent-impairing violations that he doesn’t give a crap about.”
She added, “Judges give slumlords the power to treat tenants like garbage.”
“This is why we need universal RTC and a winter moratorium for all.”
Fidele Albert, a tenant leader with the Flatbush Tenant Coalition, Crown Heights Tenant Union, and Brooklyn Eviction Defense, urged lawmakers to “respect low-income people” and put a halt to any court cases that might otherwise result in evictions of individuals and their families from their homes. “Say NO to more homelessness and YES to abolishing and banning winter evictions forever. Stopping evictions saves lives. Statewide Right To Counsel must also be passed!”
Universal eviction moratoria have been demonstrated to be a successful technique for keeping renters safely housed, reducing homelessness, and safeguarding tenants from exposure-related health issues and mortality throughout the epidemic, according to Myrie.
“The well-documented and devastating consequences of homelessness are exacerbated by cold weather,” he noted. “Unsheltered individuals have an increased risk of developing exposure-related health problems, particularly in cold weather.”
The state senator said that according to data from the NYC Department of Homeless Services, 613 homeless people passed away in New York City between July 2019 and June 2020.
He asserted that between 2003 and 2015, hospitalizations for colds were at least 25% higher among those who were homeless.
