NYC Will Launch Landlord-Tenant Coronavirus Mediations

NEW YORK CITY — A new project will help down-on-their-luck New York City renters hash out rent arrangements with their landlords during the pandemic.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday announced the city's launch of a landlord-tenant mediation project. He said it aims to help keep New Yorkers in their homes as federal and state rent relief efforts sputter and stall.

The effort will also help address the outsize impact the pandemic has had on communities of color, he said.

"The idea is to try to resolve problems outside of the court system, find a way to keep people in their homes," he said.

The city will prioritize 27 neighborhoods hardest-hit by the coronavirus, said Louise Carroll, commissioner of the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development. It will partner with community dispute resolution centers in all five boroughs, she said.

Renters will receive free legal help, advice and assistance negotiating their rent with their landlords without fear of eviction or going to housing court, Carroll said.

"For New Yorkers hit hard by the pandemic, this citywide landlord-tenant mediation will be a valuable resource," she said.