Photo Courtesy of John McCarten/NY City Council
All of the bills were scheduled to be introduced on Wednesday at the council’s first-ever remote Stated Hearing.
By Forum Staff
During the City Council’s first-ever remote Stated Hearing on Wednesday, Gotham’s legislative body was scheduled to introduce a COVID-19 relief package that aims to protect tenants, help small businesses, and find creative ways to address the public health crisis brought on by the pandemic.
Highlights include a bill that extends time for virus-impacted tenants to repay rent and pay back debts, as well as new protections from harassment for all renters, including the city’s small businesses.
The package will also include a NYC Essential Workers Bill of Rights, would require premiums for non-salaried essential employees at large companies, prohibitions on the firing of essential workers without just cause, and paid sick leave for gig workers.
Remote Stated Hearing legislative highlights will include:
A bill sponsored by Council Speaker Corey Johnson calls for extending time for all renters across the five boroughs to repay rent, blocking evictions, and collection of debts. While Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s statewide 90-day eviction moratorium provided renters with temporary relief, the City must ensure that its impacted tenants are protected from evictions in the long-term as they get back on their feet and recover from the harmful impacts of this crisis, Johnson said. The council will therefore consider legislation that prevents marshals and the City’s sheriffs from the taking and restitution of property or the execution of money judgments. This means that evictions and the collection of debt would be paused for all NYC renters, including residential and commercial tenants. It also means those renters would have additional time to repay their rent. This bar would apply to actions against all New Yorkers for the duration of the crisis. Further, for New Yorkers impacted by COVID-19, marshals and sheriffs would be barred from collecting debts and performing evictions until April 2021.
Another bill sponsored by Johnson and Councilwoman Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) would address commercial tenant harassment. According to Johnson and Adams, the council will consider legislation to make threatening any commercial tenant based on their status as a COVID-19 impacted business or person a form of harassment punishable by a civil penalty of $10,000 to $50,000.
A measure sponsored by Councilwoman Carlina Rivera (D-Manhattan) and Johnson would temporarily suspend personal liability provisions in leases and other rental agreements of COVID-19 impacted businesses while the state of emergency is in effect, ensuring that city business owners don’t face the loss of their businesses and personal financial ruin or bankruptcy.
“These bills provide relief where it is needed most right now, including protecting tenants from eviction. It’s essential that New Yorkers get the rent cancellation they need, but in the meantime, we need to give renters peace of mind that we won’t let them suffer irreparable harms. We’re also protecting small businesses and essential workers, who have been so hard hit,” Johnson said. “We must take these steps to help make sure that New York City remains the vibrant, diverse and exciting place it was before COVID ravaged our neighborhoods.”
The council will hold hearings on each of the bills over the next week and a half.
