After delaying the vote two weeks ago, the Binghamton City Council voted unanimously to pass New York’s Good Cause Eviction law last night.

Originally introduced in early December by Nate Hotchkiss ‘12, a Democrat representing the fourth district, the law would protect Binghamton tenants from retaliatory or unjustified evictions, prevent rent increases of over 10 percent and allow for lease renewals if renters are not in violation of their contracts or missing payments. The vote was held back on Jan. 29 to add amendments and to “move it forward quickly,” eliminating the 60-day period when the law takes effect, according to reporting from the Press and Sun-Bulletin.

In the weeks leading up to this vote, community members, including tenants, landlords and students, have shared their voices at town halls and the City Council’s business meetings. Rebecca Rathmell, a longtime housing justice advocate elected to represent the council’s sixth district, said there was an urgent need to pass the legislation and address the city’s housing crisis.

“City leadership has been ‘forming committees’ and ‘commissioning task forces’ to discuss local housing inequities for over a decade, yet almost 2,000 individuals — including over 700 families with children — faced homelessness in Broome County last year,” Rathmell said in a press release. “‘Pressing pause’ on this legislation is the kind of inaction that got us here. It will not get us out.”

The first amendment added to Binghamton’s version of the law more specifically defines the term “nuisance” as either public or private, and the second expands on the phrase “withdraw from the housing rental market,” meaning houses undergoing significant repairs or improvements would be removed temporarily from the market.

A Good Cause Eviction law passed in a state budget and took effect in April 2024 in New York City, intending to protect tenants from unreasonable rent increases and eviction. Municipalities throughout the state can pass a local law to opt into the legislation. Landlords can still evict tenants for “good cause” under the law, like not paying rent.

In a press release sent shortly after the vote, Binghamton Mayor Jared M. Kraham said the council “has left serious questions about the law’s implementation and impact unresolved.”

“Binghamton has made real progress on housing in recent years, with my administration leading the way in cutting red tape around construction, prosecuting slumlords and investing in neighborhoods,” Kraham said in a press release after the vote. “Bringing NYC-style housing regulations to Binghamton will backfire, pushing out good landlords who are providing quality housing to families, discouraging investment in rental properties and hurting the very people this legislation intends to help.”

At the time of introduction, the Binghamton Chamber of Commerce also expressed concerns about the law. In an email obtained by Pipe Dream, they argued that the law would have harsh consequences for property owners and landlords.

By passing this law, Binghamton joins several other municipalities throughout the state that have opted into the law, including Albany, Kingston, Ithaca, Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Newburgh, Nyack, Hudson, New Paltz, Rochester, Fishkill, Catskill and Croton-on-Hudson.

“This is an important and necessary protection to bring tenants in Binghamton,” Hotchkiss wrote to Pipe Dream. “I’m thrilled that the City Council has given their unanimous support to Good Cause as a clear demonstration of our commitment to addressing our growing housing crisis. I strongly encourage the Mayor to move quickly and sign this into law.”

Research by Trevor J. Fornara ‘23 found that a shortage in affordable housing in the Binghamton area has been ongoing for over two decades. According to the Stakeholders of Broome County, a housing advocacy coalition, roughly 17 affordable housing units are available for every 100 low-income renters.

“It’s a law that will clearly and demonstrably help thousands of Binghamton residents, and it’s long overdue,” said John Ferrara, a junior double-majoring in Italian and biology, at the Jan. 29 meeting.

Limited markets could force those with the lowest incomes to rent substandard housing units, potentially exposing them to health and safety risks, possibilities of overcrowding and an inability to build long-lasting social connections within a neighborhood.

“To be on the forefront of a new law and have progressive thinking is something that this city has needed for a long time,” said City Council President Michael J. Dundon at Wednesday’s meeting. “The status quo that’s been going on has failed this city for decades.”