Ithaca College Professor speaks on "Good Cause" bill

Andres Rendon
Forth - Ithaca / 11:47 PM ET - 12/5/2021

Patricia Rodriguez, chair of the politics department at Ithaca College, sent a letter late last month sharing her concern over alderperson Cynthia Brock's bill, "Prohibition of Eviction Without Good Cause." One major point that Rodriguez pointed out about Brock's bill is that non-renewal of a lease is eviction.

Andres Rendon
Forth - Ithaca / 11:50 PM ET - 12/5/2021

Living in Tompkins County for over 14 years, Rodriguez has noticed a drastic change in housing in Ithaca, noting that housing is limited to mostly wealthy people on the area. "People of color," Rodriguez said, "and lower income people do not have the same access."

Andres Rendon
Forth - Ithaca / 01:09 AM ET - 12/6/2021

Working with the Tompkins County Immigrant Rights Coalition, Rodriguez cited one incident involving a family and their landlord not being accountable for the conditions in their apartment, and for his behavior.

Andres Rendon
Forth - Ithaca / 01:11 AM ET - 12/6/2021

"The landlord said to this family that they needed to leave," Rodriguez said. "But the landlord did not fulfill his part of the contract. The bathroom was leaking, the kitchen was open to the upstairs... and the oven was broken [and] was never fixed for a long, long time."

Andres Rendon
Forth - Ithaca / 01:13 AM ET - 12/6/2021

"I don't see much in this legislation that they proposed... it's sort of like a blanket," Rodriguez said.

Andres Rendon
Forth - Ithaca / 01:15 AM ET - 12/6/2021

Rodriguez also raised the concern of who is making classifications like "nuisances" and what is considered "good cause." Rodriguez claims that the term "good cause" is too vague.

Andres Rendon
Forth - Ithaca / 01:18 AM ET - 12/6/2021

When it comes to what Rodriguez would like to see in housing policy in Ithaca, she stated that there should be no evictions at all. Rodriguez actually wants to see more policies and protections in place that were offered by the Ithaca Tenant Union's "Right to Renew" legislation, which was dismissed in late August.

Andres Rendon
Forth - Ithaca / 01:20 AM ET - 12/6/2021

Concerning the confusion surrounding the "Right to Renew" bill by the ITU and the "Prohibition of Eviction without Good Cause" bill, Rodriguez mentioned that she would like to learn more about why the ITU's bill was dismissed, when many of its policies and procedures, according to Rodriguez, would have helped tenants.

Andres Rendon
Forth - Ithaca / 02:27 AM ET - 12/6/2021

Cynthia Brock has stated that she would take the chance to talk to local tenants, however she did not specifically state that she would be talk with the ITU. Rodriguez said that that is not enough, and that in order to create a housing bill that benefits the most, a conversation with all involved needs to take place.

Andres Rendon
Forth - Ithaca / 02:28 AM ET - 12/6/2021

Brock's bill and public comments from community members, including Rodriguez's letter, can be found in the last agenda here: