ALBANY — It’s just not that easy to get money out of politics.
Last year, as New York lawmakers overhauled the state’s rent laws, some progressive Senate Democrats swore off real estate money and vowed to keep their main account free of funds from landlords.
But dismissing dollars from deep-pocketed donors is proving difficult as a handful of moderate Dems continue to accept contributions from those with ties to the industry.
“We’ve pushed elected officials from around the state not to take money from real estate because of the toxic influence and the massive housing and homelessness crisis across the state,” said Jonathan Westin, the director of New York Communities for Change.
Last year, Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens), chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, pledged that the party’s main account would no longer take contributions from developers.
And it hasn’t. The DSCC account saw no money come in from real estate-linked funders during the second half of 2019.
But not all of Gianaris’ colleagues are on board with barring landlord-linked cash.
Advocates are wary of moderate Long Island Democrats — including Anna Kaplan, John Brooks, Monica Martinez and Jim Gaughran — who voted against rent reforms last session and are still accepting real estate funds.
Sens. James Goughran and Todd Kaminsky, both Long Island Dems, accepted a combined $81,300 from landlord groups and other related interests. Sen. Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo) accepted $17,300 in real estate cash, while Hudson Valley Democrat James Skoufis took in $17,600 in real estate money.
The acceptance of money from the industry has become something of a progressive litmus test, especially in Albany where sweeping tenant-friendly changes to the state’s rent laws were passed near the end of the last legislative session.
Tenant advocates plan to reassert their presence in Albany this session, pushing for “good cause” eviction legislation, which would make evictions in market-rate apartments more difficult. They also plan to back the so-called Home Stability Support measure, which would offer rent supplements to low-income New Yorkers facing homelessness.
Property owners and landlords are also looking to the current legislative session with wary eyes. Building owners have forged a statewide alliance called Under One Roof NY that has already started lobbying in the capital.