Tedisco and Jordan stand with, advocating local landlord small businesses that are financially devastated by policies such as the moratorium on evictions that have had serious unintended consequences, and are calling for reforms of government programs that do not help
Halfmoon, NY – During a press conference today at Halfmoon Town Hall, Senator Daphne Jordan (R, C, I, Ref-Halfmoon) and Senator Jim Tedisco (R, C-Glenville) advocated and endorsed local rental small businesses through policies like that Moratorium on rent, which had serious unintended consequences for countless landlords, financially devastated.
Senator Jordan and Senator Tedisco were sponsored today by local small business landlords like Joseph Tronco; Dennis and Mary Ryan, City of Braunschweig; Rosie Karame, Mortgage Tax Officer in the Rensselaer County Clerk Frank Merola Office, City of Troy; and Chris Morris, Founder and Executive Director of Schenectady Landlords Influencing Change. Senator Jordan and Senator Tedisco are supported in their efforts by Rep. Mary Beth Walsh (R, C, I-Ballston) and Rep. Jake Ashby (R, C, I-Castleton), both of whom are quoted in this news release.
During the press conference this morning, Senator Jordan and Senator Tedisco also called for reforms to government initiatives like the State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) which, due to their overly complicated and cumbersome nature, fail to help small landlords, some of whom have not paid rent for over a year has been. Senators Jordan and Tedisco also support the passage of Common Sense Law – Senate Bill S.5629 – to help small homeowners with a loan-to-grant program in support of rent to cover missed payments. The local small landlord companies present at today's press conference also shared their perspectives on what they have been through financially and are still going through, and also underline the urgent need for real relief.
“We appreciate and understand the challenges facing those renting during this pandemic. Mom and Dad's small business owners who rent out apartments are also economically at risk as they may go out of business due to a lack of income. If our small homeowners go out of business, it will affect tenants and there will not be enough affordable housing. Unfortunately, the state aid funding for rent isn't getting through to many of these small homeowners, many of whom haven't been paid since March 2020, ”said Senator Jim Tedisco (R, C-Glenville).
“I passed a law (p.5629) with Senator Daphne Jordan to help small homeowners with a loan-to-grant rental support program to help them make up for missed rent payments. These small landlords live on the fringes and many are close to bankruptcy. The moratorium, which is still in place, stipulates that tenants should repay their debts. If this does not happen, according to my loan-to-grant bill, if the tenants were to postpone their subsequent rents, which they are responsible for and have under current law, then the landlords would simply repay the state. If the tenant never pays the rent, the loan becomes a grant like the federal pandemic aid program for small businesses so that landlords are harmless, ”said Senator Jim Tedisco.
“I am proud to stand for and support local landlord small businesses that have been financially harmed by policies such as the moratorium on rental evictions, which have had serious unintended consequences. Landlords are small businesses: they have mortgages, utilities, maintenance and repairs, long-term debt. They also have families, children, college funds, auto payments, health insurance. They have all of the expenses everyone else has, plus the cost of their property. I speak and advocate for mom-and-pop landlord small businesses on Main Street, which provide much of the affordable housing in our nation. It is time for the state and federal government to recognize that there is a serious problem facing homeowners and take the necessary steps to ensure they can get real help, ”Senator Daphne Jordan (R, C, I , Ref-Halfmoon) said.
“I continue to call for sensible reforms of government programs that are not helping small landlords – some of which have not paid rent for well over a year and in one case are still waiting to be paid after 17 months. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) has unrealistic, unworkable requirements that make a bad situation even worse for small rental companies struggling financially due to the unintended consequences of this failed government program. The practical reality of these provisions, which I have been told by many local landlords, is that they cannot make up for their overall losses and that some, not all renters have fled the rented premises without giving the necessary information and lack of cooperation. This lack of active collaboration, as required under ERAP, can prevent landlords from processing legitimate claims to recoup all their losses through ERAP. It is for this reason that I recently wrote to Governor Cuomo asking him to take immediate action to address the serious, significant and systematic deficiencies that I have identified with ERAP, ”said Senator Daphne Jordan.
“The local landlords who join me today are more than just small mom and pop businesses; They are our friends and neighbors who have tried to do what's right for their tenants and their local community. It is wrong for these people to be left behind by a bureaucratic program mandated to create a fair, simple, and timely initiative to get checks into the hands of those in need. It is time for the governor to do the right thing and help streamline the rental housing emergency program so small landlords can continue to make a living and be an important part of New York’s economy, ”said Senator Daphne Jordan.
“At the start of the pandemic, the eviction moratorium helped New Yorkers who needed it. However, the continued extension of the eviction and foreclosure moratorium has only exacerbated the financial damage to countless landlords, large and small, across the state, "said Rep. Mary Beth Walsh (R, C, I-Ballston).
"Landlords and property owners have been repeatedly overlooked for guidelines and guidance issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in countless local landlords being owed thousands of overdue rents," said MP Jake Ashby (R, C, I.). – Castleton). "The negative effects caused by the indifference of leaders continue to show that our landlords will be felt for many years to come if we don't act quickly to address the thousands of landlords who have not been brought into this position by either side. to offer a lean, accessible and sufficient help through personal negligence, but rather through short-sighted government policy. "
“Landlords are small businesses and we have suffered seriously because of the public guidelines that put us last. I haven't received a rent from any of my halfmoon rentals in almost 17 months. This is causing me and my family incredible financial pain. Mom and Pop landlords are human too, and we need help! I am grateful to Senator Jordan for being such a strong advocate for small rental companies like me that are really struggling during these troubled times, "said Joseph Tronco, small business owner Joseph Tronco.
“In the rush to remedy the situation, small landlords like me have been forgotten by the federal and state governments. Policies to help hurt, and some in Albany don't seem to realize we need help too. This problem really boils down to basic fairness and rents out small businesses like me who are not treated fairly. My wife and I have not received regular rent payments for months and that has put a massive financial burden on us. I am truly grateful to Senators Jordan and Tedisco for their responsiveness and for their continued efforts to ensure our voices are heard and our needs met, ”said Dennis Ryan, a small business landlord in the city of Brunswick.
“Landlords have been through incredible tax challenges because the pandemic has prevented them from receiving rent for over a year. It was very difficult to find out what programs were available for people like me who only have a rental apartment in the city of Troy. Especially when the city of Troy charged us late fees and refused to waive them when I paid my taxes last year. We need real relief and we need it now! We can't afford to wait any longer. I am so honored that Senator Jordan will allow my voice to be heard. It is time for our elected officials in the state and federal governments to take on this battle, ”said Rosie Karame, Rensselaer County Clerk Frank Merola mortgage tax officer and a small business landlord in the city of Troy.
Chris Morris, Founder and Executive Director of Schenectady Landlords Influencing Change, said, "Small business landlords just can't go on maintaining their properties with no INCOME! That's common sense! Now aid is urgently needed. They're disappearing in September. AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS POSSIBLE!" "