Tenants, organizers urge council to opt into good-cause eviction protections

During general public comment at the June 9 Schenectady City Council meeting, multiple speakers urged the council to opt into good-cause eviction protections to reduce evictions and protect tenants from sudden rent increases.

Sean Radigan, identifying himself as a Schenectady homeowner, framed the issue around housing stability and said, “Tenants deserve safe, affordable, stable housing. Tenants should know that Schenectady has their back.” Ellie Pepper, who identified herself as a 30-year resident of the Eastern Avenue neighborhood, said that since New York’s emergency rental assistance protections ended in January 2023 the city has “likely seen over 3,500 eviction filings” based on an average of about 175 filings per month and noted that more than 500 Schenectady School District students were identified as homeless in a single school year; she urged the council to opt into good-cause protections.

Organizers also described local and regional experience. Bridget Savage Spice, who said she volunteers with tenant organizing across the Capital District, described Albany tenants’ experience with large corporate landlords and noted that good-cause protections helped residents insist on repairs without fear of retaliatory rent hikes. Speakers argued good-cause protections do not freeze rents or prevent legitimate eviction for nonpayment or serious lease violations; instead, they said the policy requires landlords to show cause for no-fault evictions and prevents sudden predatory rent increases.

Ending: These remarks were public comment and not a council action item at the June 9 meeting. Council members did not take a vote; the comments were entered into the public record for consideration in future policy discussions.