28-01-2025
City Council voting on Good Cause Eviction Law on Wednesday
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – After introducing the controversial legislature just over a month ago, the Binghamton City Council will vote on the Good Cause Eviction Law during Wednesday's meeting.
The City Council announced on Tuesday that voting is on this week's Business Meeting agenda. In a statement, the council thanked the public for their questions, comments, and support, maintaining its belief that local government should be transparent and participatory. City Council also reiterated that its decision to move Good Cause Eviction Law forward is a reflection of the current housing crisis which its members believe warrants urgent action.
In December, Councilman Nate Hotchkiss submitted the bill which establishes Good Cause Eviction Protections, limiting the circumstances under which landlords in Binghamton can evict tenants.
New York State passed a law in 2024 allowing municipalities to opt into the protections which give renters the right to renew their leases when they expire and limits the amount of rent increases unless they can be justified.
Public reactions to Good Cause Eviction at Binghamton town hall
After proposing the bill, Hotchkiss said that 59% of Binghamton renters are cost burdened meaning they spend more than 30% of their monthly income on housing. 38% pay more than half of their income.
The vote was originally scheduled for December 18 but was postponed after the council faced pushback from the public as well as local leaders including Mayor Jared Kraham.
The Binghamton City Council issued the following statement on Tuesday:
Proposal of Good Cause Eviction sparks controversy
'After extensive consideration, Binghamton City Council members would like to notify the public that Good Cause Eviction law will be on the Business Meeting agenda to be voted on tomorrow night.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who participated in our Town Hall earlier this month and for the many who sent comments and questions or joined us at neighborhood association meetings for further conversation. It remains the firm belief of this Council that local government should be transparent and participatory. We will continue to host opportunities for community members most affected by legislation being considered in City Hall to share their support or express their concerns.
We also appreciate the legislators in Rochester, Ithaca, Albany and elsewhere who were willing to offer insight into the impact of Good Cause in their cities and make recommendations regarding its implementation. With 12 municipalities across the state having already expanded tenant protections in this way, we look forward to collaborating and learning from our collective experience.
To directly address inquiries consistently brought up in community conversations, we want to be clear that Good Cause Eviction law does not remove the right of landlords to reobtain possession of their properties or to increase rent within a reasonable margin. The rights of landlords to consider evictions for nonpayment, property damage, or other lease violations remain unaffected while protections that prohibit arbitrary eviction or exorbitant rate hikes are ensured.
This Council's decision to move Good Cause Eviction law forward is a reflection of our conviction that what has become a housing crisis for too many Binghamton residents warrants urgent action. Study after study has found that chronic displacement within the City has contributed to increases in student mobility, household and neighborhood instability, and homelessness. Municipal leadership has been 'forming committees' and commissions and task forces to discuss local housing inequities for over a decade yet more than 1200 individuals and over 700 families with children faced homelessness in Broome County last year. 'Pressing pause' or 'putting a pin' in this conversation is the kind of inaction that got us here. It will not get us out.
This Council also fully acknowledges that reducing displacement is only one piece of an effective approach. Aggressively addressing the deficits in available homes for residents who have been left behind while student and luxury housing development soared remains our long-term focus. In addition to prevention, we will continue to introduce policies to preserve existing stock and produce more deeply affordable housing.
Thank you for trusting us to prioritize expanding opportunities for every Binghamton resident to have a safe, stable place to call home.'
Debate continues over Binghamton's Good Cause Eviction proposal
Good Cause Eviction was first implemented in New York City and has recently been passed in 12 municipalities across the state including Rochester, Albany, and Ithaca.
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