‘Good Cause Eviction’ bill is an extreme measure

Local officials are urging

Gov. Kathy Hochul to support the “Good Cause Eviction” bill. This legislation imposes sweeping statewide rent control and applies to both old apartments and new construction.

The bill will create a huge disincentive to build desperately needed housing, unless heavily subsidized by you, the taxpayers. The bill will restrict the already constricted housing supply, resulting in a terrible squeeze on anyone wishing to remain a New York state resident, especially on the middle class and the economy those residents support.

This bill will have the unintended consequence of harming those it was intended to protect. Property owners will set higher qualification standards to rent their apartments, reducing, rather than growing, the number of units accessible to lower-income families. For example, renters might need a credit score of 800 or an income of three times the rent, all due to the bill’s requirements guaranteeing perpetual lease renewals.

Before we consider extreme measures, like statewide rent control and the “Good Cause Eviction” law, we urge state and local governments to streamline new construction for workforce and middle-income housing, and “affordable” housing. Statistically, housing construction permit rates in New York state are much slower than the rest of the nation and slowing down more. It’s time to look at housing solutions comprehensively rather than resorting to failed solutions of the past.

— Michael Oates

South Salem Meagan Bianco

Highland The writers are, respectively,

the president and chief executive officer of the Hudson Valley Economic Development

Corp. and community engagement director of Ulster

Strong.