Housing activists and Democratic lawmakers gathered at the New York State Capitol on Tuesday, May 12th to push for a sweeping package of tenant protection bills that would dramatically reshape eviction proceedings across the state, including a proposed ban on residential evictions during winter months.
The rally, organized by the Right to Counsel NY Coalition, focused on three separate proposals aimed at strengthening protections for renters facing eviction, expanding access to free legal representation and limiting landlords’ ability to remove tenants while serious housing code violations remain unresolved.
Supporters framed the legislation as a response to what they described as an increasingly severe housing crisis affecting low-income New Yorkers statewide.
Among the most aggressive proposals is the Winter Eviction Moratorium bill, which would prohibit residential evictions between November 1st and April 15th each year.
Advocates supporting the legislation repeatedly pointed to reports that 17 New Yorkers died from exposure during an extended February cold snap, arguing that removing people from housing during winter months can become a matter of life and death.
Democratic State Senator Jabari Brisport, who sponsors the bill, compared the proposal to existing winter utility shutoff protections already embedded in state law.
“We already have lots of strict regulations on cutting off utilities during the winter,” said Brisport. “If housing is a human right, then you cannot remove that roof from somebody’s head in the cold, either.”
The proposed moratorium would not erase rent obligations or prohibit landlords from continuing to collect rent during winter months.
Instead, it would temporarily pause residential evictions until warmer weather returns.
Another major proposal discussed Tuesday centered on dramatically expanding access to legal representation for tenants facing eviction proceedings.
Democratic Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn argued the current housing court system overwhelmingly favors landlords because property owners routinely appear in court with attorneys while tenants often face eviction proceedings alone.
“Landlords walk into the courts with attorney law,” she said. “Tenants walk into the court alone.”
The proposed Statewide Right to Counsel legislation would establish a New York State Office of Civil Representation tasked with providing free attorneys to eligible tenants at risk of eviction and homelessness.
Under the proposal, courts would also be required to notify renters about their right to legal counsel by mail at least 14 days before trial proceedings begin.
If eligible tenants appear in court without legal representation, judges would be required to delay proceedings for at least 30 days to give renters time to secure counsel.
The measure is intended to prevent families from being rapidly forced out of housing without understanding their legal rights or potential defenses.
Advocates at Tuesday’s rally repeatedly argued that eviction proceedings can destabilize entire neighborhoods and communities, particularly in lower-income urban areas.
The third proposal generating significant attention was the so-called “Clean Hands Act,” which would restrict landlords with unresolved hazardous housing violations from pursuing evictions against tenants.
Under the legislation, judges would be required to dismiss eviction proceedings involving landlords who fail to correct dangerous conditions or who misrepresent the status of code violations.
“It is outrageous that a landlord can ignore hazard violations,” said Bichotte Hermelyn while criticizing property owners who seek evictions despite renting properties with unsafe conditions.
The proposal would still allow landlords to collect rent and contest violations they believe were recorded in error or already corrected.
Evictions could also continue under certain circumstances, including cases involving tenant-created safety hazards or where other residents’ rights are being disrupted.
Tenant advocates at the Capitol also highlighted the scale of eviction activity occurring throughout New York.
According to statistics provided by the Right to Counsel NY Coalition, roughly 175,000 eviction cases are currently active statewide while nearly 160,000 New Yorkers are homeless.
The coalition additionally claimed that landlords filed eviction lawsuits against nearly 850,000 households between January 2020 and December 2025, including more than 164,000 eviction filings in 2025 alone.
During the rally, tenant advocate Bibiana Mancero shared personal experiences involving multiple winter evictions, including one she said occurred during a major snowstorm in December 2010.
She recalled “walking with my kids in almost 20 inches of snow” while dealing with the aftermath of being removed from housing during winter conditions.
The proposals are likely to face opposition from landlord organizations and property owner groups, many of whom have previously argued that increasingly restrictive eviction laws can create financial instability for small landlords while complicating efforts to address nonpayment or problematic tenants.
Whether the package ultimately advances remains uncertain, but with a democratic assembly and senate the legislation remain viable.
Governor Hochul has not voiced her opinion on this legislation, but would be likely to support it.
