Between July 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024, more than 151,000 summary proceedings were filed in New York City Housing Court. This unprecedented volume has collided with systemic failures—funding shortfalls, staffing gaps, administrative backlogs, and logistical breakdowns—creating a court system that no longer functions as the law requires.
For property owners, the consequences are severe: prolonged loss of possession, escalating rent arrears, rising litigation costs, and uncertainty in enforcing lawful judgments. For tenants, delays create instability, prolonged uncertainty, and unsafe living conditions that often go unresolved. What was designed to be a fair, efficient legal forum has become overwhelmed and ineffective for everyone involved.
year
2026
policy
Housing Court
category
Tennants
What the Law Requires — and What’s Actually Happening
New York law clearly provides a “simple, expeditious and inexpensive” process for resolving nonpayment and holdover cases. Statutes require:
Timely calendaring of first appearances
Adjournments only when requested by the parties
Issuance of warrants upon judgment
Yet across NYC Housing Courts, routine practices now include:
First court dates delayed far beyond statutory limits
Administrative adjournments imposed without party request
Warrants of eviction withheld despite clear legal mandates
These are not isolated incidents—they are entrenched, systemic practices that undermine the rule of law and erode confidence in the justice system.
Two Perspectives, One Broken System
Housing Providers’ Reality
Small and rent-stabilized property owners report that nonpayment cases now take 12–18 months or longer, even in straightforward situations. During that time, taxes, insurance, utilities, and maintenance costs continue—often without any rent income. Many owners are pushed into financial distress, forced to defer repairs, sell buildings, or exit affordable housing programs entirely.
Tenants’ Reality
Tenant advocates argue that court delays protect due process and prevent wrongful evictions. Access to counsel, time to gather evidence, and opportunities for fair settlements are essential to housing stability. They emphasize that underfunded courts and legal services—not tenant protections—are the real cause of delays, and that eviction prevention saves the city millions in shelter and social service costs.
The truth: Both sides are being harmed by a system that is under-resourced, administratively broken, and operating outside statutory requirements.
Gotham’s Goal
Gotham is not calling for reckless speed or unjust evictions. Our mission is fairness and efficiency for everyone:
Expand judicial and clerical resources to reduce backlogs
Ensure access to counsel while keeping cases moving
Strengthen laws against squatting and unlawful occupancy
Enforce safe housing standards for all tenants
Restore lawful, predictable court procedures
Protect both housing stability and property rights
A system that is slow, inconsistent, and lawless helps no one.
Our Legal Action
Gotham is taking action.
In partnership with Kucker Marino Winiarsky & Bittens, LLP, we are pursuing an Article 78 proceeding to compel Housing Court compliance with statutory duties, including:
Timely calendaring of cases
Lawful limits on adjournments
Mandatory issuance of warrants upon judgment
This effort is not about interfering with judicial decision-making—it is about enforcing nondiscretionary legal duties already mandated by the Legislature.
Courts cannot ignore statutes because of backlogs, funding gaps, or administrative convenience. The law must mean something.
Why This Matters
Every day of unlawful delay:
Deprives owners of lawful possession
Traps tenants in unsafe or unstable housing
Increases financial distress
Reduces affordable housing supply
Weakens trust in the justice system
Housing Court should be a forum of justice—not paralysis.
HL
Executive Director
Call to Action
We are working with Senators, local leaders, community organizations, and advocates—but we need you.
✔ Support court reform that balances rights and responsibilities
✔ Demand funding for judges, clerks, and legal services
✔ Insist on compliance with the law
✔ Advocate for a system that is fair, efficient, and humane
Fairness requires both protection and accountability.
Justice requires both rights and enforcement.
Reform requires action.
Together, we can restore a Housing Court system that works—for tenants, for housing providers, and for New York City.
— Gotham Housing Alliance
