De Blasio Calls For Rent Freeze, Says Cuomo Should Let Tenants Pay With Security Deposits
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the city's Rent Guidelines Board to help tenants who cannot pay their rent come May 1.
The mayor suggested the governor let people use their security deposits, or in some cases, defer paying and come up with a repayment plan.
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"Let renters use their security deposits to pay the rent now. This is something the state could do quickly and easily, and it makes so much sense. Those security deposits are stuck in escrow accounts. The tenant can't use them, the landlord can't use them until someone leaves their apartment for good," de Blasio said. "It makes no sense given that we're dealing with an absolutely unprecedented crisis."
"If people just run out of money, let them defer the rent. They can pay it back after a period of time. If people don't have any money, they don't have any money," he continued. "I believe there should be a plan to allow people to defer their rent and then have a repayment plan that everyone agrees to."
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy announced just such a plan on Friday through an executive order to let renters use their security deposits for rent, and also for landlords to waive late fees.
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De Blasio added Cuomo should extend the eviction moratorium to at least 60 days after the crisis ends.
The mayor also laid some responsibility with the city's Rent Guidelines Board, saying it should act quickly to authorize a rent freeze for over 2.4 million rent stabilized tenants.
"To me, it's abundantly clear we need a rent freeze. The facts couldn't be clearer – greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression," he said.
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He urged anyone having trouble with their landlord to call 311 for information about the new rules and their rights. The city is also offering free legal help with rent issues.
De Blasio said the economic crisis follows the same racial disparities as the health crisis, with communities of color hit the hardest.
"In a sense, this virus teamed up with the inequalities that already existed in our society and that we've been fighting here in New York City over these last six plus years," he said. "It's very painful to see folks who have worked their lives so hard to barely get by then have to bear the brunt of this in a way that's overwhelming."
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The mayor said the city is opening five new testing sites at public hospitals and three others at NYCHA facilities, as well as increasing public awareness campaigns and grassroots outreach - including virtual town halls with faith leaders - working to establish community-based health clinics and expanding telemedicine.
