Binghamton community members rallied today in opposition to Mayor Kraham's approach to demolishing several properties across the city and his objection to the good cause eviction legislation. 

The legislation looks to increase housing stability, combat unreasonable rent increases, and protect tenants from unjust evictions. Under the legislation, a tenant could still be evicted for violating a lease or causing a nuisance.

The advocates joined a local resident and disabled veteran at 42 Fayette Street who says he is being wrongfully evicted from his home of four years as a result of the mayor's "mishandling of city-acquired properties".

The 42 Fayette property is one of several housing units owned by infamous landlord Isaac Anzaroot. The city found several of his properties to be in deplorable condition and unfit for living.

Advocates say good cause eviction policies would help prevent these things from happening to anyone else.

Michael Dundon, Binghamton City Council President and 7th District council member says, "Good housing eviction is exactly what is needed for tenants like the tenant here, so we don't have unscrupulous landlords letting properties go beyond repair to get knocked down. They can actually hold the landlords accountable for investing in the property and making it stay up to code standards." 

City of Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham responded by saying, "The property at 42 Fayette St. has numerous Code issues that make it unsafe and in need of demolition. No amount of empty rhetoric from Citizen Action and their allies is going to pressure the City into allowing a person to occupy an unsafe building." 

He continued saying, “The City’s work to demolish these properties or rehabilitate them, when possible, is a major step toward cleaning up the mess left by Mr. Anzaroot and creating neighborhoods free from blight and anchored by safe, quality housing.
 
The attempt by City Council members and Citizen Action to tie this to an “urgent need for good cause eviction” is both misguided and misleading. Good cause eviction would offer no extra protections to a resident who has never paid rent to the City, has no known lease, and has received notice to vacate a building that is unsafe."
 
“Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. 42 Fayette St. is not that.”
 
The City Council meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, January 13 will address the proposed Good Cause Eviction legislation.