Res 1403-2020

By The Public Advocate (Mr. Williams) and Council Members Gjonaj, Chin and Vallone Whereas, On March 20, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order which required all non-essential New York businesses to reduce their in person workforce by 100% in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 and established a moratorium on residential and commercial evictions during the COVID-19 state of emergency; and Whereas, According to a May 22, 2020 news article in the New York Daily News entitled, "I've Tried Everything': NYC Residents Struggle For Food Stamps Amid Historic Unemployment Levels," many New Yorkers are currently unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to receive access to government assisted programs such as unemployment insurance and food stamps; and Whereas, To address the financial hardship that many New Yorkers are facing, the New York State legislature is currently considering several bills that aims to provide mortgage relief and rent suspension payments for commercial and residential tenants who have been impacted by the COVID-19 state of emergency; and Whereas, A negative consequence of these state bills is that they could still result in a financial hardship for property owners who are accumulating operating and maintenance expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic; and Whereas, There are also some property owners who do not have mortgages, yet will still need help to address the financial hardship that a rent suspension would create; and Whereas, A.10255, introduced by State Assembly Member Yuh Line Niou, would establish a COVID-19 emergency small homeowner assistance fund for property owners who could have their rent payment suspended by state law due to the COVID-19 outbreak response; and Whereas, A.10255, would establish the following criteria for a property owner to receive assistance: A) the property is made up of no more than 50 residential units, B) one third or more of the properties' residential or commercial tenants had their rent payment suspended due to state law related to the COVID-19 response and C) the property is required to show financial hardship due to the suspension of the rental income; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, A.10255, in relation to establishing a "COVID-19 emergency small landlord assistance fund." JLC LS 14786 5/27/2020