On Monday, September 28th Mayor De Blasio announced he was allocating $12.3 million to hire lawyers to fight off landlord evictions and avoid an increase in homelessness.
A landlord association quickly responded that the money should be used to pay back rent, which they feel is the principal cause for eviction. City assigned lawyers may be able arrange a repayment plan to keep people out of overcrowded and filthy homeless shelters.
De Blasio singled out those landlords in areas being gentrified where the rents are rapidly going up and where some landlords are using harassment and fraudulent lawsuits to oust tenants.
A non-English speaking single women confessed on TV that she made $150 a week in a hair salon and she could not pay her rent.
The City recognizes that it is cheaper to keep tenants in their apartments than to build or refurbish homeless shelters or build affordable housing which will take a decade. —George Capsis
