Affordable housing advocates will make a sustained push in the coming weeks for a measure to make it harder for people to be evicted when rent is increased, add support for public housing and for the expiration of a tax break they argue has done little to boost affordable units in New York City. 

Lawmakers are expected to return to the state Capitol on Monday for the remainder of a legislative session that concludes on June 2. The post-budget portion of the legislative session in Albany will be a short one, but potentially no less consequential as lawmakers gear up for their re-election campaigns. 

Judith Goldiner, the attorney-in-charge of the Civil Law Reform Unit at the Legal Aid Society, said in a Capital Tonight interview advocates will oppose efforts to extend a tax credit meant to spur housing and set aside affordable units, but has been criticized for not doing enough.  

Housing concerns have been a dominant issue for much of the pandemic for advocates, and lawmakers have marked a rise in homelessness and affordability problems facing New Yorkers coming alongside the economic hardship created by the crisis. 

Among the victories for housing advocates in the $220 billion spending plan was a strengthened Emergency Rental Assistance Protection fund as lawmakers added $800 million to the program meant to curtail evictions for those struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Goldiner and other housing advocates plan to make the push for what's known as the "Good Cause" eviction measure that prevents landlords from removing tenants who are not able to pay what's considered an unreasonable increase in rent.

"Our clients are facing rent spikes from predatory landlords and retaliation from landlords angry about challenges paying rent during COVID," the Legal Aid Society wrote in a letter released on Thursday to top lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul. "Now is the time to pass Good Cause Eviction Legislation to enable low-income tenants to remain stably housed as they recover from the COVID pandemic."

The measure was not included in the final budget agreement this month, but Goldiner insisted the real effort will come now after the spending plan has been approved.  

"It's a law that would help so many tenants, but it would cost taxpayers a dime," Goldiner said. "We expected to be done outside of the budget."