Tenants Overwhelmingly Call for Protections at Northeast District Good Cause Forum

Housing Justice for All

14 tenants and community members called on Rochester City Council to pass Good Cause Eviction Protections at this evening’s Northeast District Good Cause forum, hosted by Rochester City Councilmember Michael Patterson.

At Rochester City Council’s Good Cause forums, 85% of speakers have called for the protections, with many calling on the city to amend the protections to close loopholes and cover more renters.

At the last public forum, hosted by Councilmember LaShay Harris in the South District on July 29, only one dissenting voice spoke out against Good Cause. There will be two more forums in the coming weeks.

Good Cause Eviction Protections protects renters from rent hikes and unfair evictions, as well as guarantees lease renewals to tenants who’ve been paying rent and following their lease. Over half of Rochester renters are rent-burdened, paying 30% or more of their income on rent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and Monroe County has the fourth highest eviction rate in the state.

Rochester City Council introduced legislation to opt into Good Cause Eviction Protections in June. However the version introduced would be the weakest in the state, as it includes an “LLC loophole” that would exclude approximately 17,600 rental units, leaving an estimated 35,000 renters vulnerable to predatory landlords. Rochester City Council is facing growing calls from tenants and community members to opt into the protections and close these loopholes and cover all Rochester renters.

Albany, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, and Ithaca opted into Good Cause Eviction Protections earlier this summer, and unlike Rochester, closed loopholes to maximize the number of tenants protected under the law. City Councilmembers Kim Smith, Mary Lupien, and Stanley Martin have called on Council to follow the lead of other upstate cities by amending the local Good Cause legislation to expand protections to all Rochester renters.

“Good Cause Eviction Protections are about making sure people aren’t getting pushed out of their homes just because landlords want to squeeze them for more money. But, the current legislation leaves tens of thousands of tenants at the mercy of landlords who can exploit these gaps to maximize profits at the expense of our communities,” said City-Wide Tenant Union Tenant Organizer Lisle Coleman. “We’re fighting to close these loopholes so that everyone in Rochester has the peace of mind that if they’re paying their rent and following the rules, they can stay in their home. It’s time to make sure that our housing system is fair and that our communities have the stability they deserve.”

There will be two more Good Cause public forums after this evening’s, including one tomorrow, Wednesday August 14:

* East District, hosted by Councilmember Mary Lupien: Aug. 14, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ryan R-Center (530 Webster Ave.).

* Northwest District, hosted by Councilmember Bridget Monroe: Aug. 27, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Edgerton R-Center (41 Backus St.).

Good Cause Eviction Protections would require landlords to show they have a “good cause,” such as non-payment or violating the terms of the lease, in order to evict a tenant. Tenants covered by Good Cause will be able to challenge rent hikes that are more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) + 5% (8.45% upstate as of May 2024) or 10%, whichever is lower, requiring landlords to justify a rent increase by demonstrating increased costs of business (such as increased taxes, insurance, or maintenance costs).

State law allows upstate municipalities to adjust certain exemptions to adapt to local market conditions and cover more renters. Albany, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, and Ithaca’s versions of Good Cause close the ‘LLC loophole’ by narrowing the real estate portfolio exemption to 1 rental unit, preventing predatory landlords from evading the law by hiding their portfolios behind anonymous Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs). Albany, Poughkeepsie, and Ithaca also raised the high rent threshold to 345% of Fair Market Rent so that it becomes a true high rent threshold, instead of an incentive for landlords to increase the rent just to avoid the law.