New York’s squatter nightmare has gotten so far out of control that even liberal lawmakers are finally moving to plug the loopholes that have facilitated the crisis.
Democratic as well as Republican lawmakers in Albany are pushing measures to crack down on the outrageous scourge, including one bill introduced by lefty Sen. John Liu (D-Queens) that was included in the just-completed state-budget agreement.
Liu credited coverage by The Post and others for bringing “to our attention a problem that needed to be addressed.”
You bet it needs addressing.
Until now, anyone who stayed in a home beyond for a certain length of time (just 30 days in the city!) could claim legal occupancy and force landlords into drawn-out legal proceedings that could take years to get them evicted.
Moreover, among the disastrous changes to housing law under Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2019 was one that required “a special proceeding” to kick out squatters.
The flawed statutes, the onslaught of migrants seeking places to live, the state’s soft approach to crime generally and a backlog of housing-court cases (thanks to COVID court closures) have combined to send squatting soaring — up as much as 20% over the past two years, per one real-estate expert.
Gov. Hochul, who signed off on the budget deal that included the legislation, also praised media efforts: “No one else stood up,” she said.
Some of the cases The Post has reported are, indeed, compelling:
No civilized community can survive with such lawlessness.
Liu promises that the new legislation makes “crystal clear” squatters are not tenants; that change will “get the ball rolling” to address the issue while lawmakers take up further measures, he says.
“We’ve addressed this crisis so squatters do not have the same rights as tenants,” added Hochul. “That is firm. They can be prosecuted, and there will be consequences for them,”
State Sen. Mario Mattera (R-LI), meanwhile, has a refom package that would let cops boot squatters on the spot, based merely on a sworn complaint from an owner.
Of course, that may go too far for the crime-friendly progressives who dominate the Legislature.
On the other hand, that crew normally includes Liu, so perhaps Mattera’s ideas won’t get quashed in committee; at least, lawmakers are talking about more steps to get tough.
One small step toward sanity won’t be enough to end New York’s squatting scourge: The Post will keep on “standing up” to bring “the problem” to Albany’s “attention.”
