500,000 New Yorkers Owe Back Rent. What Happens When Evictions Resume?

The eviction moratorium is set to come to an end in New York City, setting off alarms about the fate of tenants who owe months of unpaid rent and could face homelessness.

After hitting the pause button during the pandemic, the eviction machinery in New York City, one of the world’s most expensive housing markets, will likely soon start firing up again. For roughly 16 months, the city’s renters have been shielded from eviction under broad protections imposed by the federal government and New York State to keep people in their homes during the coronavirus outbreak. But those safeguards are soon expected to come to an end, setting off alarms about the fate of struggling tenants who owe months of unpaid rent, cannot make their next payments and could face homelessness.