In yesterday's hearing OTDA said that 40,000 applications are pending on landlords to do their parts. OTDA is trying to work through the process and help connect those landlords to their renters application. Commissioner Hein also stated that the 196,000 tenants that have applied for the program will be receiving an email which will inform them of their eviction protections. In addition to this 41,000 tenants will receive notification next week that their application has been approved and that they are eligible for the law's full year of eviction protection.
OTDA Commissioner Hein said in the hearing that landlords are allowed to evict tenants who have received funds from CERAP, if that tenant owes arrears pre-pandemic and any future rent that is not paid. Supervising Judge Jean Schneider also said that default judgments of evictions can now be enforced and that one-shot deals are being withheld from tenants with pending CERAP applications.
During the hearing CHIP also mentioned the need to get more renters to apply for the program. CHIP also mentioned that they have paid canvassers to knock on doors to try to get tenants to apply. CHIP's Executive Director Jay Martin also called on lawmakers to either make CERAP permanent or come up with another permanent rental assistance program for struggling tenants.