Some States Finally Ending Landlord Eviction Abuse

by Caitlin Dewey, Missouri Independent
July 5, 2023

BUFFALO, N.Y. — For years, Charlene Redrick worked double shifts to make sure she made rent each month. The 64-year-old nursing home aide always paid on time — even at the height of the pandemic.

But in 2022, Redrick’s landlord moved to evict her from the three-bedroom apartment she shared with her granddaughter and infant great-grandson. The landlord wanted to sell the building, Redrick said, and thought it would show better if it were vacant.

Redrick initially planned to fight the eviction, knowing she wouldn’t find another three-bedroom apartment she could afford.

“But I just gave up,” she said. “I didn’t want to fight anymore.”

Redrick has since moved to a smaller apartment — and begun fighting for something else. This year, housing advocates in New York state mounted a fierce campaign in support of a once-obscure policy called “just cause eviction,” which requires that landlords provide a valid reason — a just cause — such as unpaid rent or property damage, for removing tenants. Such policies aim to increase housing stability and prevent arbitrary, retaliatory or discriminatory evictions.

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