Press Release
CSS Statement: NYC Should Close Housing Courts, Place A Moratorium on Evictions in Response to COVID-19
New York City is on a brink of a public health crisis, which will have an acute impact on vulnerable New Yorkers. Housing instability, including evictions, will not only put elderly and immunocompromised tenants into harm’s way, but further exacerbate the spread of COVID-19. So will forcing people into crowded spaces to defend their right to remain housed.
Without an interruption of evictions in the coming days and weeks – and the temporary closing of chronically overcrowded housing court facilities – COVID-19 will spread more rapidly among New Yorkers, in particular those who become homeless or those forced to double up with friends or family. San Francisco, San Jose, and Miami-Dade County are taking steps to suspend evictions in response to COVID-19. We must do the same, and do the necessary groundwork to make such a suspension work.
The Community Service Society calls on New York City to support a 30-day moratorium on evictions by:
- Directing the Department of Citywide Administrative Services to close all housing court facilities and NYCHA administrative hearing offices to stop the spread of COVID-19.
- Requiring the New York City's Department of Investigation to immediately direct all city marshals to cease executing warrants of eviction.
- Immediately suspend further action on all pending NYCHA evictions, terminations of tenancy and terminations of Section 8 subsidies.
- Institute a NYCHA moratorium on new evictions, terminations of tenancy and terminations of Section 8 subsidies.
These actions are necessary as we work to manage public health demands brought on by this outbreak and do our best to reduce chances of exposure for New Yorkers.