New Yorkers Brace For The End Of Residential Eviction Moratorium: 'I Can't Be Out On The Street'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Thousands of New York residents could be forced to look for new places to live once the residential eviction moratorium expires on Wednesday.
Advocacy groups are calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to provide more relief, CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas reported.
"No landlords, no cops, all evictions gotta stop," was the chant Tuesday.
Protesters gathered outside of Brooklyn Housing Court with a dire warning to anyone who would listen.
"I can't be out on the street. You can't be out on the street. So something has got to give, right?," one person said.
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On Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo's residential eviction moratorium expires. That means those with pre-pandemic eviction orders, that have been on hold, can be carried out.
"It's between the marshal and the landlord whether the marshal serves an eviction notice," said Judith Goldiner of the Legal Aid Society.
Protesters placed furniture on the sidewalk to demonstrate what could happen next. A potential reality that the Legal Aid Society said could impact 14,000 New York City households.
A statement from the governor's press office said in part, "Gov. Cuomo has continuously made it a priority to provide assistance to struggling New Yorkers, including signing into law the Tenant Safe Harbor Act and $100 million in rental assistance."
But, Legal Aid attorney Goldiner said that's not enough.
"If you get sued now in housing court, you do have a defense if you had a COVID-related financial harm, and you will likely be assigned a lawyer who can help you with that," Goldiner said.
The economic and health care crisis has already devastated families. Now the potential of losing their home could push many over the edge.
The eviction moratorium for commercial properties expires on Aug. 20.
