Rep. Ocasio-Cortez to Introduce New York Housing Ideas at Federal Level

At a recent Public Housing Town Hall meeting in the Bronx, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she plans to introduce the “Just Cause” and Access to Counsel housing-policy ideas at a federal level. Just cause eviction policies limit the grounds upon which an owner may evict a tenant; typically, allowable grounds for eviction include nonpayment of rent, intentional damage to the unit, or other material noncompliance with the terms of the lease before owners may evict tenants. In jurisdictions without just cause eviction policies, owners aren’t required to provide any reason for an eviction of tenants without leases or at the end of a tenant’s lease term.

The policies Ocasio-Cortex would propose at the federal level would mirror New York State Senator Julia Salazar’s failed “Good Cause” eviction bill and the Right to Counsel rule already in place in many ZIP codes in New York City. In addition, she said she plans to introduce laws that would place restrictions on rent increases larger than 3 percent and prosecute mortgage fraud.

Ocasio-Cortez organized the meeting to discuss NYCHA, the city’s public housing agency.