Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo (R,C-Sayville) attended a press conference today to join statewide calls for further pushback against the rampant rise of squatters in New York state. Most recently, a woman named Nadia Vitels was attempting to secure her recently passed mother’s Manhattan apartment but was murdered by two squatters staying there. Gandolfo believes enough is enough.

“Squatting has long been a problem in New York. On Long Island alone, we’ve seen a number of accounts and stories about squatters overtaking homes legally owned by others with few, if any, repercussions to follow,” Gandolfo said. “We cannot stand by and allow people to use loopholes in the law to essentially take another’s legal property. I’m proud to co-sponsor A.6894, which will close the loophole and allow squatters to be charged with criminal trespassing. New York must protect legal homeowners because these properties are theirs and theirs alone.”