The Legal Aid society and housing rights advocates across New York reacted to new relief measures promulgated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday afternoon that bans evictions for certain tenants who can no longer pay their rent due to the economic fallout caused by COVID-19 shutdowns, according to Gothamist.

Unfortunately, this regulation will not extend relief to tenants in unregulated apartments where the landlord can avoid the moratorium by bringing a case based on non-renewal of the tenant’s lease. Conservatively, LAS believes that tens of thousands of New Yorkers will still face eviction because of this loophole.

“Unfortunately, this regulation will not extend relief to tenants in unregulated apartments where the landlord can avoid the moratorium by bringing a case based on non-renewal of the tenant’s lease,” said Ellen Davidson, a staff attorney with the Civil Law Reform Unit at The Legal Aid Society.