Cuomo Extends NY Eviction Moratorium Through August, Announces Agricultural Buyback Program

By Zack Budryk, The Hill

07 May 20

ew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Thursday that a statewide moratorium on evictions would be extended through August 20 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The state on March 20 temporarily prohibited residential or commercial evictions through June. In addition to extending the moratorium through August 20, the state will bar fees for late or missed payments during that period and allow renters who have lost money due to the pandemic to use their security deposit as payment, Cuomo said Thursday during his daily press briefing.

Cuomo added that he hoped the extension “gives families a deep breath” but did not rule out a further extension.

“Nothing can happen until August 20 and then we’ll figure out on August 20 what the situation is,” he said.

“The majority of people in this state live paycheck to paycheck, all of a sudden the paycheck stops,” Cuomo said, adding that federal stimulus and unemployment benefits are “not making up the gap for many families” and that the problem had been particularly pronounced among farmers upstate who are unable to sell their products.