Shervon Small, Director of the Economic Equities Project at The Legal Aid Society, and State Assembly Member Amanda Septimo make the case for “Good Cause” legislation in a joint op-ed in today’s Bronx Times.

Under the proposed law tenants living in unregulated units would be entitled to renew their leases, and landlords would have to demonstrate “good cause” in order to evict. Tenants would be able to advocate for repairs without fear of retaliation and would also be protected against exorbitant rent hikes.

“Without ‘Good Cause’ in place, struggling tenants living in the Bronx’s 100,032 non-rent stabilized households (24.7% of the borough’s rental stock) will continue to encounter the use of extreme rent hikes as a way of ousting them from their homes,” they write. “In 2020, 61% of Bronx residents reported falling behind on their rent or mortgage, had utilities shut off due to nonpayment, or were threatened with eviction or foreclosure due to wage and job loss in the COVID era. And a staggering 83% of low-income Bronx residents who lost employment income report food insecurity.”

Read the full piece here.