KINGSTON – The Kingston Common Council Tuesday night voted unanimously to opt into the Good Cause Eviction law that the state granted municipalities authority to do earlier this year.
Kingston is the second upstate city, after Albany, to opt into the state law.
Good Cause Eviction would protect certain tenants against unfair evictions and predatory rent increases.
Kingston had adopted its own local law in January 2022, but that was repealed after landlord lawsuits as well as the state-level legislation.
The version of the local law passed Tuesday was sponsored by Alderpersons Michael Tierney and Michelle Hirsch.
“Tonight’s victory shows that when tenants organize, we win,” said For the Many Political Director Brahvan Ranga. “This will keep our neighbors in their homes, prevent housing prices from continuing to skyrocket, and grant tenants basic protections in their dealings with landlords.”
“With the passage of Good Cause Eviction, we now have the ability to help more than half of Kingston tenants stave off unjust evictions,” said Hirsch.
Tierney said the legislation “will keep our neighbors in Kingston and ensure our community can continue to strive.”
Mayor Steven Noble must sign the legislation into law for it to take effect, something he is expected to do in the days ahead.
