The Legal Aid Society applauded the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) for extending the eviction freeze to October 1, 2020, providing an additional six weeks of relief for New York tenants facing eviction.

However, Legal Aid also called on Governor Cuomo to use his powers and authority to extend the eviction moratorium indefinitely and outright. If the Governor continues to pass the buck on addressing this housing emergency, families from across the state will be forced from their homes in droves because he failed to meaningfully act.

“I hope that the judges listen to the Office of Court Administration on that. We appreciate that the courts are looking out for tenants in this order. [But] I think it’s curious that the governor who has had so much control over so many aspects of New York State has left the fate of tenants in someone else’s hands,” said Ellen Davidson, Staff Attorney with the Civil Law Reform Unit at The Legal Aid Society.