By DEBORAH E. LANS
HUDSON–Evictions in the county shot up post-pandemic, along with the dramatic rise in rental and homeownership costs and the consequent unaffordability of housing for many residents. The adoption of a “good cause eviction law” in Hudson and a bevy of programs designed to assist those facing eviction now seek to mitigate the personal disruptions and public costs of families losing their homes.
As this paper has reported (see, for example, “Housing Update,” August 12, 2024), rental housing in the county is now out of reach for many of the county’s working and older residents, with family members often having to work two jobs to meet rent and other basic needs. Even working a 70-hour week, many cannot afford to live here.
With rising rents has come an increase in the number of eviction proceedings brought in the county to oust tenants from their homes. According to statistics maintained by the state court system, there were 188 eviction proceedings brought in Columbia County in 2019; the figures fell below 100 during the pandemic, but then shot up to 255 in 2022, 235 in 2023 and 185 as of November 11, 2024.
To state the obvious, the consequences of eviction can be devastating. If someone cannot afford their current rent, finding alternative rental housing in this market is a dubious proposition. For those who lack family or friends to bunk in with, the streets or homeless housing become the alternative. However, as The Columbia Paper has reported (“Of homelessness and motels,” November 30, 2024), the county houses the homeless in motels at substantial cost and in nevertheless often dismal conditions, on top of which the motels are literally out of room on most nights.
Losing a home is crushing. Eviction or foreclosure disrupt every aspect of life and inflict a devastating psychological blow. Those experiencing eviction suffer lasting harm to their credit, a higher than usual rate of depression and other mental health issues, the fracture of community ties, sometimes the dispersal of family members and more.
Fortunately, a number of programs seek to mitigate the risks of eviction and foreclosure.
First, in October Hudson adopted a “good cause eviction” law. Pursuant to state legislation, communities in New York have the option of enacting such laws. To date, 11 municipalities in the state have done so. The law effectively puts a brake on unreasonable rent increases (in no event more than 10%) and limits the bases on which tenants can be evicted (non-payment of rent is still one) to preclude evictions spurred primarily by a desire for substantial rent hikes. (See “Council Supports Good Cause evictions,” October 22, 2024, for a detailed explanation).
In addition, the county Board of Supervisors recently supplemented the funding available to Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood (GHPN) to assist those at risk of losing their homes with a grant of $200,000 of unused ARPA monies. Even before the county award, GHPN had six sources of foundation funding to help those facing eviction or mortgage foreclosure. But, by July, the group had exhausted those funds according to Executive Director Joan Hunt, and GHPN sought additional financial support.
The $200,000 award from the county has allowed GHPN to expand its efforts throughout the county. Most of the grant is allocated to assist renters, but $40,000 is set aside to help those facing mortgage foreclosure, such as because their variable-rate mortgages are now being reset at significantly higher rates than applied initially. There is no pre-determined period for which rental or mortgage assistance will be provided, and every situation is evaluated individually in an effort to assure housing stability.
The funds were desperately needed. In 2023, GHPN disbursed $56,165 in rent assistance to 80 households. This year to date, it has provided $174,624 in rental assistance to 123 families and stopped 65 evictions. Indeed, within 6 weeks after receiving the county funding, GHPN had already disbursed about $80,000 of it.
GHPN works with many players. Sometimes, judges handling eviction proceedings reach out to see whether a resolution can be had with GHPN’s assistance. GHPN is generally present during court proceedings to try to forestall eviction with temporary assistance. Often, landlords reach out, preferring to avoid eviction and to help a good tenant remain in place by helping the tenant get assistance to meet a temporary cash flow issue. The county Department of Social Services (DSS) may be approached by a family seeking help, and it will refer them to GHPN if the family’s situation does not fall within the criteria for DSS assistance. And, of course, often tenants themselves seek help.
The situations causing a housing crisis are often transient. A tenant loses a job and lacks the funds to pay rent while he finds a new position. The family car needs four new tires, the car is needed to get to and from work and the budget doesn’t allow for buying the tires and paying this month’s rent. A family member suffers unexpected health issues and significant medical expenses. The rent was just hiked up and the family cannot afford it; they are looking for a new home but meanwhile need assistance.
Recently, GHPN convened the emergency services providers in the county in order to survey the programs each offers and so as to target GHPN’s efforts to meet gaps in the other programs. Among the other groups that make emergency assistance available to certain populations or in certain situations are:
*Columbia County Sanctuary Movement (CCSM) assists immigrant communities and especially those with undocumented status; provides rent and medical bill assistance. (518-303-3848; wheeler@sanctuarycolumbiacounty.org)
*DSS provides rental assistance and one time emergency help for small expenses (518-828-9411)
*Catholic Charities of Columbia and Greene Counties provides one time assistance, usually capped at $1,000, with rent, car repairs, utility bills (518-943-1462)
*Columbia Opportunities Inc. provides various forms of assistance including for rent, utilities, heating bills (518-828-4611)
*The Healthcare Consortium assists with medical bills, medication costs (518-822-8820 ext. 308)
*Kite’s Nest helps “alumni” and their immediate family with emergency rent and medical costs (hello@kitesnest.org)
*Community Action of Greene County (which also serves Columbia County residents) provides food, clothing, rental and other assistance to domestic violence victims (518-943-9205)
*Columbia County Department of Human Services has a “flex” program that provides food, clothing, housing, transportation and other support to those with substance use disorders (518-828-9446 ext. 1222 or John.cahill@columbiacountyny.com)
*GHPN’s Director of Family and Community Initiatives, who administers its various programs for rental and other emergency assistance, Aisia Smith, can be reached at 518-212-7514 or aisia@greaterhudsonpromise.org.
It bears noting that while these programs offer vital stop-gap assistance for those living on a financial knife’s edge, only programs that address such root causes as poverty, unaffordable housing, non-living wages, out-sized child care and healthcare expenses will ultimately provide the stability that families need to thrive.
To contact reporter Deborah Lans, email deborahlans@icloud.com