Good Cause Eviction Law Is Good for Smart Growth

To the Editor:

Peekskill may soon have a new tool to help address the nationwide housing crisis impacting our community. The Peekskill Common Council is considering opting into the state “Good Cause Eviction Law” (Article 6A of the Real Property Law.) 

By passing a Good Cause Eviction law, Peekskill will join similar municipalities, including Croton, Nyack, Beacon, Fishkill, Catskills, Poughkeepsie, New Paltz, Hudson, Ithaca, Kingston, Newburgh, Binghamton, and Rochester, in protecting renters from arbitrary eviction and rent gouging. 

The Good Cause Eviction Law does not prevent landlords from evicting tenants who fail to pay rent, violate lease terms, or engage in illegal or nuisance activity. It does not apply to owner occupied rental units. It does prevent displacement due to skyrocketing rents. It’s a “win-win” that helps stabilize families, neighborhoods, and communities while allowing landlords to make a fair profit on real property investments. 

The Good Cause Eviction Law provides that a tenant can’t be evicted without a good reason. That means that a family with school age children who has been living in their apartment for 10 years can’t be evicted because the landlord wants to move in higher paying tenants. It also prevents rent gouging by limiting annual rent increases to 10% or 5% + the rate of inflation, whatever is lower. The Fair Market Rental for a two-bedroom apartment in Westchester is $2,580.00. That is an unsustainably high rent for many working families. Currently, there is no limit on the amount of increase a landlord in Peekskill can charge.

Over 40% of housing units in Peekskill are rentals; 54% of Peekskill renters are rent burdened and pay over 30% of their income on housing costs. Long-time residents are being forced from the community. By passing a strong Good Cause Eviction Law that applies to landlords who 1) own more than one rental unit, and 2) rent their unit(s) under the cap of 345% of Fair Market Rental (or $8,901.00 for a two bedroom as indicated above) we are supporting smart growth that helps Peekskill families.

Cynthia Knox
CEO, CHHOP
Peekskill

Frustrated by Lack of Response from City Hall

To the Editor:

I have been a resident of Peekskill for the past 38 years and have never been so disgusted with “NO” responses to the hundreds of valuable emails I have sent to the current government consisting of City Manager Matt Alexander, Mayor McKenzie, Deputy Mayor Riley and the Council Members.

I will only share a couple but there are numerous that I have sent even back to when Hillcrest Apts had their fire and I always try to help fire victims. I contacted Shaun the OM of Spare Cube to see if they could donate a storage unit for people to donate items to the fire victims. Shaun immediately got the okay and I shot email after email to the City Manager, Mayor and Council Members.

NO one even responded. After several weeks of being very disgusted I contacted Shaun and said the city will not respond and you were so kind and generous to help the people of Hillcrest take the unit back.

4 months ago I drove to downtown Peekskill which is rare. As I drove into downtown I was shocked to see how seedy Peekskill appeared. At the beautiful and historic War Memorial at Division and Highland Ave., there was a mattress on the sidewalk. I always report to DPW and we have a wonderful new Admin Oswal Perez that reports all to the Director Chris Gross or heads of divisions.

I was in Beacon NY in the Fall of 2024 and just so pleased how well they have maintained their beautiful city storefronts, plantings and keeping with the historical feel and tackling the garbage situation. I reached out to Mayor of Beacon Lee Kyriacou asking if they could share the way they are handling the litter in their city via a conference call. Secretary to Mayor Benjamin Swanson responded absolutely yes. 

So let this be a lesson on how our city officials handle the matters of concerned residents of Peekskill at re-election time. I am not alone. There are many people who are so concerned and we share the same view. The city knows who we are. There is no communication in our city government.

Shame on them!

Wendy Kelly
Peekskill