New York State Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Letitia James has gone on record in support of “Good Cause” legislation which will help to prevent eviction statewide, as reported by City Limits.

“I step before you as someone who was once in poverty…who was once evicted,” said James during a recent stump speech. “We’ve gotta talk about rent and housing and all the issues that we care about. Yes, we need to pass ‘Good Cause’ eviction.”

The Legal Aid Society and housing advocates across New York are pushing lawmakers in Albany to enact the bill (S3082/A5573) which provides basic protections to millions of renters across the State.

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.

A statewide eviction moratorium is currently set to expire in January, setting the stage for a potential tidal wave of evictions. Without these critical protections countless vulnerable tenants are at risk of losing their homes exacerbating the ongoing public health and homelessness crisis.