Liberty, NY – As coronavirus descended upon the world last year, evictions were frozen by executive order and later by law in New York State as part of efforts to keep people safe in their homes during the pandemic.
“While these actions were an important part of broader public health efforts, it is also well understood that continuing to provide housing to tenants who cannot or will not pay rent is unsustainable for landlords and the local economies they are a part of,” noted Sullivan County Social Services Commissioner John Liddle. “As we prepare for life after COVID, the emergency rental assistance provided for in the CARES Act and the just-passed $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan will enable a smoother transition from public health crisis response to our post-pandemic routine.”
As guidelines and distribution are sorted out at the State and Federal levels, the Sullivan County Department of Family Services is reaching out to landlords across the County to learn the extent of the support landlords and tenants need.
“Because evictions are not proceeding through the courts as they normally would, we are asking landlords to participate in a ten-question online survey to help us prepare for the job ahead,” explained Liddle.
The survey is online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PV8N2TV. Information landlords provide will not be shared with other entities, and those landlords who share their contact information will be given additional information on rental assistance programs as they become available. Deadline for responses is close of business on March 25.