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AIPROPX ReportGothamist · 1d ago
NYC landlord agrees to help formerly homeless tenants before evicting them
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC. Gothamist Listen Live Donate News NYC landlord agrees to help formerly homeless tenants before evicting them By Karen Yi Published Aug 20, 2026
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A landlord for some of New York City's most vulnerable residents has agreed to do more to help tenants who are behind on rent before trying to evict them, according to a settlement agreement.
The legal settlement between the nonprofit CAMBA and the Legal Aid Society affects more than 2,000 supportive housing tenants across the city who are formerly homeless and have a disability or mental illness. The class-action lawsuit claimed CAMBA, the housing provider, didn't do enough to help people who fell behind on their rent before taking them to housing court. Going forward, the organization needs to assist tenants with financial management and emergency aid applications before going to court, according to the settlement.
Recently, housing and legal advocacy groups have raised alarm that supportive housing providers, which receive public funding to house formerly homeless people who have other disabling conditions, are pursuing unnecessary evictions against tenants in cases that could be resolved outside of court.
“Supportive housing is supposed to be a foundation for stability — not another pathway back into homelessness,” said Maddie Reichman, a staff attorney for Legal Aid Society.
Reichman said the settlement with CAMBA could be a model for other supportive housing landlords.
In a statement, a CAMBA spokesperson said the organization was committed to supporting the thousands of New Yorkers who rely on their programs.
“For nearly 50 years, CAMBA has been a trusted community partner, and connecting individuals and families to resources that keep them housed is at the core of our daily mission,” said Samantha Conlan, chief development and communications officer for CAMBA.
"Our existing eviction-prevention protocols already strictly align with all city guidelines to support vulnerable residents. This settlement doesn’t alter our service delivery model.”
The Legal Aid Society initially sued CAMBA last October on behalf of three disabled New Yorkers who were facing eviction proceedings for unpaid rent. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleged the tenants didn’t even know they were being sued or that they owed rent.
Supportive housing tenants pay 30% of their income toward rent but many of them are paid through city subsidies.
Earlier this year, city officials released new guidance urging housing providers to only use eviction court as a last resort. But Gothamist previously reported that eviction warrants continued to pile up even after the city told landlords to ease up on cases. Housing advocates said the guidance lacked any teeth and this summer called on the Mamdani administration to pause all eviction cases in supportive housing units for 90 days. The city has not agreed to do so.
Eleven eviction warrants were issued against tenants this week, and housing advocates said they’re continuing to flag dozens every week.
“These aren't just any, any run-of-the-mill landlords,” Reichman said. “They specifically provide housing for people who have experienced homelessness, who have chronic health issues, who have histories of addiction and mental illness. And the reason why they're in supportive housing is because they can't essentially live on their own independently without the additional supports that these supportive housing providers claim to provide.”
Supportive housing providers have said evictions are rare and the system is a critical safety net that works to keep the most vulnerable New Yorkers — across 42,000 units — stay housed. They say rent is a crucial part of the agreement and necessary in order to run their buildings and provide services. Some have also flagged a growing rate of tenants facing rental arrears since the pandemic.
As part of the agreement, CAMBA agreed not to file eviction cases against tenants who are actively cooperating with the organization to seek financial help to pay off rental arrears, such as through emergency assistance grants known as One-Shot Deals .
CAMBA officials said the agreement largely reflects what the organization already does.
Attorneys for CAMBA will also have to confirm in writing that a tenant is not cooperating or all other options such as payment plans and emergency aid applications have been exhausted before seeking a marshal’s notice to evict them. Additionally any cases that are filed must disclose that the tenant is in supportive housing.
Housing advocates who said supportive housing landlords don’t always disclose a tenant is in supportive housing which could signal to the judge they need extra help to show up to hearings.
The supportive housing tenant union called SHOUT or Supportive Housing Organized and United Tenants issued a report earlier this year that surveyed 49 tenants. It found a majority of respondents felt supportive housing providers often failed to support them. About a third said when problems arose they were threatened with eviction rather than offered other solutions.
Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-589-1460.
Both incidents happened in apartments where the ...
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