The New York State Senate and Assembly recently passed historic legislation that strengthened rent laws and tenant protections for New Yorkers, right before the original laws expired.

In a joint statement from Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, they called the new laws “the strongest tenant protections in history.” They also acknowledged that power has historically “been tilted in favor of landlords” and this new legislation “finally restore[s] equity and extend[s] protections to tenants across the state.”

Benjamin Dulchin, the Executive Director of the Association of Neighborhood and Housing Development, called the new legislation a “step forward for millions of tenants.” Dulchin said in a statement that “for too long, weak regulations have led speculators to harass and displace tenants in communities across New York. Affordable housing developers know that stability benefits both tenants and landlords, and that housing quality and housing affordability can go hand in hand.”

In the wake of new rent protections for tenants in New York, the City of Newburgh received $150,000 for a housing study to address inequality, poverty, and economic development. The public and private funding for this research is dedicated in finding diverse housing options for residents. The Leviticus Fund announced in a press release on June 19, 2019 that this study (which will take place at an undetermined time) will go toward “address[ing the] high housing cost burden” in the City of Newburgh. The Leviticus Fund is a nonprofit loan fund that specifically lends money to projects and organizations that benefit low-income communities. Some of these include affordable housing, child care and early education centers, charter public schools, health care, and economic development projects.

According to the Leviticus Fund, though the City of Newburgh has recently shown early signs of “revitalization,” it still experienced significant amounts of unemployment and concentrated poverty. As of 2017, 31% of households in the city were living below the poverty line and 65% of households who rented spent more than 30% of their income on housing.

The City of Newburgh has 2,337 vacant properties in 2017. Out of every property accounted for in Newburgh, the percentage of the abandoned buildings is 8% higher than the United States average. The Leviticus Fund believes that the vacant units “create a negative impression, depress property values, and reduce the quality of life in many neighborhoods, particularly low‐ and moderate‐income neighborhoods.”

The Leviticus Fund additionally reported that Newburgh has a couple hundred abandoned properties that have the “potential to relieve some of the burden on Newburgh’s low-and moderate-income homeowners and residents.” In short, the housing study will endeavor to find possible ways to create low-income housing out of these buildings.

This housing report will not only “analyze current resident data and the profile of the existing housing stock,” but it will also receive input from Newburgh residents regarding their current housing conditions and needs. The Leviticus Fund says that it will work closely with various Newburgh organizations and stakeholders such as city government, to better understand “the challenges and opportunities” of finding diverse housing solutions for residents that have a range of incomes. By working with these groups, the Leviticus fund will be able to provide “recommendations for equitable housing development that is tailored specifically for Newburgh.”

Greg Maher, the Executive Director of the Leviticus Fund, believes that this study will give the City of Newburgh valuable data that they have never had access in procuring. “The housing report will also provide the city and its housing stakeholders with a specific action plan that can be feasibly implemented to create equitable housing opportunities in the city at a time when interest in Newburgh from outside investors is spiking and the pace of new development is accelerating,” Maher said in a statement.

This project is being funded by separate grants from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and New York State Senator James Skoufis. JPMorgan Chase & Co. contributed to covering $100,000 of costs for the housing study. Senator Skoufis granted $50,000 to the City of Newburgh, which will be re-appropriated to the Leviticus Fund in order to expand the coverage of the housing report.

“I’m proud to have fought to secure this housing needs assessment for the City of Newburgh,” said. “Through this assessment, along with my investigative report on housing and code enforcement, I’m confident that we will soon have a clear picture of what the residents of the City of Newburgh need from the State.”