“The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a devastating hit to both renters and landlords. Over the last year I have heard from our small landlords that are struggling to front the costs of property maintenance without a steady source of income, leading to potentially unsafe living situations for their tenants.

“At this point, extending the eviction moratorium would prove devastating to our landlords and could pave the way to even worse consequences for tenants. The loss of smaller landlords could mean the takeover of properties by large corporations who do not have the best interests of tenants at heart. Additionally, our small landlords help support their communities by buying supplies from local vendors and employing local contractors. For these reasons, I voted against the bills to extend the moratorium for another four months (A.7127/A.7175). With relief funds for tenants and landlords on the horizon, the extension of the moratorium is unnecessary and does not represent the best course of action for Mohawk Valley communities.

“To better support small landlords, I helped pass legislation to create a regulatory framework to deliver millions in critical relief (A.7280). Landlords are small-business owners too, and it’s imperative that we don’t leave them hanging as relief funds are distributed. The extension of the eviction and foreclosure protections has created a great deal of hostility between tenants and landlords that is simply counterproductive. I’ll keep working to support our communities and help restore an equal balance in the housing market.”