Albany, NY– Citizen Action of New York participated in a statewide day of action to call on state leaders to pass Good Cause legislation (A5573/S3082), which would permanently end unjust evictions in New York. Citizen Action is also calling on state leaders to support workers by extending the eviction moratorium. Citizen Action chapters in Binghamton, the Capital District, Hudson Valley and New York City joined community groups for May Day actions, including a Sleep Out and Rally in Kingston to bring awareness to the homeless epidemic.
State legislators are set to vote on Monday, May 3, on legislation to extend the eviction moratorium to August 31. The Good Cause eviction bill has not been brought up for a vote this year. In the Capital Region, the city of Albany is considering passing its own version of Good Cause eviction. Today, Citizen Action leaders rallied with nurses at Albany Medical Center, where nurses have been struggling for a fair contract.
“We owe nurses and healthcare workers a great deal for getting us through this devastating pandemic. It’s time we treat them like the essential workers they are. Albany Medical Center needs to stop dragging out negotiations and come to a fair agreement that meets the nurses’ demands. We must also acknowledge that these essential workers are the same ones facing eviction, dealing with predatory slumlords, and seeing their children poisoned by the lead in their homes. Albany and New York State must pass Good Cause eviction and lead remediation legislation to protect those who protect us,” said Gabe Silva, Citizen Action Community Organizer in the Capital Region.
“As New Yorkers head back to work and state and local leaders unveil plans to restart the economy, housing has to be the centerpiece of their plans. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that housing impacts the health and well-being of every New Yorker. It’s time that we support the workforce better by making sure they’re not left out of the long-term recovery of this state. State legislators should be more concerned with helping tenants than protecting the profits of corporate developers. New York must pass the Good Cause eviction bill if we want workers to have housing security,” said Ivette Alfonso, President of Citizen Action of New York.