The U.S. Supreme Court blocked the imposition of parts of a new eviction moratorium in New York State. The moratorium, which aimed to protect hundreds of thousands of people from being evicted, was imposed in response to the prolonged pandemic that has made keeping up with rent nearly impossible for most.
Democratic Senator Brian Kavanagh, one of the proponents of the moratorium law, said the Supreme Court decision was a "serious setback" in their efforts to protect tenants amid the health crisis.
Since it was proposed, landlords across the U.S. have banded together to halt its imposition. Landlords reasoned that the moratorium would prevent them from earning from their properties and consequently paying their expenses and bills.
Randy M. Mastro, an attorney representing a group of landlords, said the decision was a welcomed one as it would now allow landlords and tenants to proceed with cases that were stopped in their tracks by the moratorium.
The Supreme Court order did leave some provisions for tenants who had filed a form that showed they had suffered economic setbacks because of the crisis. Some parts of the eviction moratorium were also left intact, including the provision that barred housing judges from evicting tenants who had shown proof of financial distress.
According to data published by the National Equity Atlas, more than 830,000 households in New York State are behind on rent. The data estimates that the amount owed in rent by the households would be somewhere around $3.2 billion.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is expected to take over as New York's governor in the next few weeks, said she would work with lawmakers quickly to address the Supreme Court decision. Hochul, whose predecessor Governor Andrew Cuomo had recently announced his resignation after being accused of sexual misconduct, said she would fight to ensure that no New Yorker in financial distress because of the pandemic will be forced out of their home.
Legal experts said landlords could potentially start filing suits to evict tenants following the decision. However, several state and federal protections may still hinder them from successfully evicting non-paying tenants. These protections include the CDC's standing eviction moratorium, which covers most of New York State.
