A new analysis released by Housing Justice for All today reveals that at least 94% of renters (168,500 households) on Long Island may be denied the right to fight unjust evictions and unreasonable rent hikes if New York State passes an opt-in model of Good Cause Eviction (A4454/S305). Good Cause Eviction would require landlords to justify evictions and rent hikes greater than 3% or 1.5x the rate of inflation, as well as give tenants the power to challenge evictions that are arbitrary, retaliatory or discriminatory. 

Recent reporting suggests that lawmakers in Albany are considering limiting Good Cause Eviction protections to New York City, with opt-in provisions for the rest of the State. This “swiss cheese” model of Good Cause would have devastating consequences for Long Island, where nearly 53% of tenants are already paying over a third of their income to rent. In Nassau County, holdover eviction filings -- where landlords do not have to provide a good cause to evict--have increased by 10% from 2022 to 2023.

“The housing crisis is impacting all of New York State. It should not matter if you live in Hempstead or the Bronx — every tenant deserves the same protections from rent hikes and evictions. The only way to achieve this is through a statewide and universal Good Cause,” said Cea Weaver, Campaign Coordinator at Housing Justice for All. “A swiss cheese Good Cause will only wreak havoc by leaving thousands of Long Island renters unprotected, and make it more difficult for courts to enforce the law even in towns and cities that have opted in. Albany should focus on passing Good Cause as written instead of creating a whole new set of problems.”

William Bailey, Senior Director of New York Communities for Change, said: “Long Island renters are suffering, and state leaders are doing nothing to lead us out of this housing crisis -- despite the widespread rent hikes and evictions, the rising homelessness across Suffolk and Nassau Counties. Albany cannot leave Long Island behind when it comes to these vital protections.”

The majority of Long Island renters live outside of major cities. Using the 2020 Census and American Community Survey, this analysis demonstrates that even if all major cities on Long Island will opt-in to Good Cause, a best case scenario, the majority of renters in the region will still not have protections. 

The housing crisis in New York is acute across the state. Rents, evictions, and homelessness are at record highs. Statewide residential evictions are up 12% overall from 2022 to 2023. Corporate landlords and private equity firms are increasingly buying up housing stock across New York — especially in low-income neighborhoods of color — and evicting tenants to flip properties and make a quick profit. Without an effective Good Cause bill and other tenant protections, working and middle-class families will increasingly find themselves on the streets or unable to afford to live in New York.

Housing Justice for All is a statewide coalition of more than 80 organizations representing tenants and homeless New Yorkers, united in our fight for housing as a human right.