Hochul faces first test in eviction moratorium special session

Evictions

Governor Kathy Hochul will face her first test Wednesday at threading the needle between tenant activists calling for an extension of the moratorium for evictions and landlords saying the moratorium puts them on the hook to pay millions of dollars in taxes while not getting any rent.

Assemblyman Peter Abbate (D-Brooklyn) confirmed the State Legislature will hold a special session at noon on Sept. 1 in a deal to extend the moratorium, which expired Tuesday, Aug. 31 to probably January 2022. The deal will include a way for landlords to have the ability to still go to court to evict tenants if the tenants cannot prove they have not been paying rent for COVID-related reasons, Abbate said.