NY Times: New York’s Legislature Passed a Rent Relief Bill

On May 28, the New York Times published a story about the Emergency Rent Relief Act, which Senator Kavanagh sponsored, in a round-up of news related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The full text of the story is below; the original version is available via the link above.
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The New York Times
New York’s Legislature Passed a Rent Relief Bill

After weeks of outcry from distressed New Yorkers demanding that housing payments be halted during the pandemic, the State Legislature passed a bill on Thursday that seeks to provide emergency rent relief for tenants.

The bill, which enacted the Emergency Rent Relief Act of 2020, would provide up to $100 million in rental assistance vouchers to landlords on behalf of tenants who are struggling to pay rent after losing a job during the health crisis.

The legislation would cover rent due from April 1 to July 31; as of late Thursday, it had yet to be formally delivered to Governor Cuomo, but would take effect immediately if and when he were to sign it.

The program would be funded with New York’s share of the $2 trillion CARES Act, the federal relief package passed several weeks ago.

Aides to Senator Brian Kavanagh, the Democratic chairman of his chamber’s housing committee, said the bill was one of several that state lawmakers had passed to address the current housing crisis.

Still, Mr. Kavanagh said in a statement: “Much more must be done to ensure that no New Yorker loses their home or is severely burdened by housing costs they can’t afford during this pandemic. We need substantial federal funding.”