Disappointed and shocked, he considered returning to Colombia, but he had come to America for new opportunities, and this setback wasn’t going to change his plans. He vowed to save enough money to one day buy a home of his own. In 2006, after six years of renting, Lopez had accumulated enough for a down payment and applied for a mortgage.  While he wanted to buy a co-op, the bank encouraged him to instead purchase a two-family house and take on a renter as an additional source of income. 

 Although Lopez didn’t want to be a landlord, the bank was adamant, so he bought a yellow, flat roofed duplex in College Point, Queens and looked for a renter. He remembers thinking that this was simply what you did in America. 

  “You purchase a house, a two-family house and rent one unit,” Lopez said. “That’s what middle class people do in America.”

 Eventually, Lopez started to see the house as an investment, and he took out a second mortgage so that he could move and start renting both floors of the duplex. The plan worked until both of his tenants stopped paying rent. Now, Lopez finds himself bracing for foreclosure. “It’s devastating,” said Lopez. 

  Single property owners make up only 13% of New York City landlords; according to Housing Preservation and Development data compiled in 2018, the average lessor in New York City owns 21 to 60 rental properties. When it comes to lost rental revenue, large landlords have experienced a greater total loss, but Mom-and-Pop landlords have been impacted more severely because they have less of an ability to weather a loss of rental income. “If you have a smaller portfolio, it’s probably less diversified,” said Furman Center housing policy expert Charles McNally. “There’s a much greater risk in terms of the stability of your assets.” 

 Additionally, small landlords are also more likely to rent to economically vulnerable tenants.  “Our early analysis showed that households that worked in industries likely to be shut down due to [Covid measures] were disproportionately concentrated in smaller buildings, which tend to be owned by Mom-and-Pop landlords,” said McNally. 

The average New York City landlord owns between 21-60 rental properties. Mom-and-Pop landlords are in the minority. Photo courtesy of JustFix.nyc

 Lopez’s tenants are among approximately 185,000 New York City households that are behind on rent. This estimate, which was based on a poll conducted by the Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), accounts for around half of the rental properties in New York City. While CHIP estimates that New York City renters owe $1 billion, the city-wide total is probably closer to two-billion. 

After Lopez’s tenant Claudia didn’t pay rent for a few months, Lopez hired a lawyer to serve her with an eviction notice.  The timing was unfortunate for him; a week after he’d filed his claim against Claudia, a city-wide shutdown brought New York City to a halt.  

 Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a 90-day statewide eviction moratorium on March 20, 2020. Suddenly, a tenant who had stopped paying rent before the pandemic was now protected from eviction indefinitely. By April, Lopez’s other tenant, Daniel, also started to withhold rent. Lopez pleaded with both tenants to pay their share. They claimed that they were unable to, but Lopez has his doubts.  “Claudia bought a new car; she has a better car than me,” Lopez said. “How can she say she doesn’t have money to pay rent?”

 The New York State legislature has extended the eviction moratorium each time it expires. The current mortarium is in place until May 1, 2021. The housing courts are technically open, but only certain emergency cases – eviction of violent tenants and hearings against landlords who lock renters out – are being heard. A huge backlog of cases is piling up. Meanwhile, landlords like Lopez are left with no income to pay a looming monthly mortgage. After more than a year of non-payment, Lopez has lost $47,600 of rental revenue. The loss comes at a difficult time. His hours as a sanitation engineer for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection were cut in April 2020. 

 He hasn’t made his $3,000-a-month mortgage payments in almost a year. While the bank gave him a six-month forbearance to delay a foreclosure, his debt is mounting.  He knows the bank will foreclose on him as soon as they are able. 

 While Lopez fights to hold onto his only rental property in Queens, a Brooklyn landlord is facing similar difficulties. 

 Clarence Hammer, 46, grew up in Brooklyn where his parents always owned a house. He witnessed first-hand the stability that comes with homeownership and wanted the same for his family, so in 2007 he bought a two-family house in Brownsville. For 12 years he lived on the bottom floor of the duplex at 618 Rockaway Ave. with his wife, son, and daughter and rented out the top floor. 

 In May 2019, keeping a promise to his wife that they would someday leave the city, they moved an hour north to Harriman, New York. Keeping the Brownsville apartment as an investment, they found a renter, Chantel, for the bottom floor of the red brick rowhouse.  Starting that summer, Chantel paid only half of her $3,250 rent. In September 2019, she paid nothing.

 Hammer filed for non-payment litigation in New York City Housing Court and had three court appearances: November 2019, December 2019, and January 2020.  By March 2020, Hammer was confident that he was nearing legal recourse. Then, the pandemic halted his litigation.

 Today, Chantel owes Hammer more than $58,500, leaving him unable to make his $5,000 monthly mortgage payments. Other financial obligations are falling to the wayside. Taxes and bills sit unpaid as he struggles to pay off what he can.  “I’m constantly getting harassing phone calls from the financial institutions that chose to lend me the money,” Hammer said. “And I don’t really even blame them, I understand. It’s really embarrassing.”  

 Hammer purchased his Brownsville apartment in an attempt to establish intergenerational wealth. “This was something that I thought I was going to pass on to my kids to establish financial stability,” Hammer said.

 In New York City, only 27% of Black households and 17% of Hispanic households own their homes, according to The Furman Center at NYU. 

 “Homeownership is a key wealth generation strategy,” McNally said. “In the wake of the foreclosure crisis [of 2008] we saw a huge destruction of Black and Hispanic wealth. That’s a real concern here as well.” 

 Black and Hispanic landlords are disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 housing crisis that is reaping havoc on their primary investment. As their eviction cases sit stagnant, these landlords are left waiting in limbo, hoping for financial relief, but dreading the inevitable. “I’m going to lose my home,” Hammer said. “That’s the reality.”

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People gather on picnic blankets for a sunny afternoon on the main lawn in Prospect Park. March 9, 2021. Photo by Norah Hogan

A trio plays music for passers-by in front of a baseball field in Prospect Park. March 9, 2021. Photo by Norah Hogan

A neon t-ball bat sits beside a disposal medical mask in the dirt in Prospect Park. March 9, 2021. Photo by Norah Hogan

A child sits on a park bench next to her discarded jacket. March, 9, 2021. Photo by Norah Hogan

Two runners leave Prospect Park. March 9, 2021. Photo by Norah Hogan

A child and a masked adult sit on a tree in Prospect Park. March 9, 2021. Photo by Norah Hogan

Yellow flowers wrapped in colorful string hang as part of a memorial  in Prospect Park. March 9, 2021. Photo by Norah Hogan

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There is a long road ahead when it comes to reaching gender equality within the courts, but female judges are proving that their identities and experiences are assets. These judges see a diverse slate of cases and bring a different perspective to their rulings. 

The recent passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was tragic, especially for the many young women who looked up to her. Thankfully, there are many more female judges who are working to preserve justice in their communities and beyond, who carry on her legacy. Three of these inspiring judicial leaders are: Bronx Supreme Court Administrative Judge Doris Gonazalez; Kings Criminal Supreme Court Judge Dena Douglas; and Kings Civil Supreme Court Judge Kathy King. 

The Bronx Supreme Court, Civil Term (12th Judicial District of New York) is located near Yankee Stadium in South Bronx. Photo by Norah Hogan

Hon. Doris Gonzalez is the first woman (and first Latina) to be elected to the Bronx Supreme Court on the Administrative bench. She is the Administrative Judge for the Court. Bronx Supreme Court, Civil Term. Photo by Norah Hogan

“I refuse to accept that I cannot do this job because I am a woman or a Latina,” Hon. Gonzalez said. Bronx Supreme Court, Civil Term. Photo by Norah Hogan

The Kings Supreme Court, Criminal Term (2nd Judicial District of New York) is located near Jay Street Metro Tech in Brooklyn. Photo by Norah Hogan

Hon. Dena Douglas is a New York State Supreme Court Judge, Criminal Term for the 2nd Judicial District of New York (Kings County). Kings Supreme Court, Criminal Term. Photo by: Norah Hogan

“I’ve been thinking about the nomination and election of Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States, it’s been very inspiring to me; her background and experiences are actually very similar to mine,” Hon. Douglas said. Douglas served as Assistant District Attorney, and as a federal prosecutor prior to taking the bench in 2007. Kings Supreme Court, Criminal Term. Photo by Norah Hogan

The Kings Supreme Court, Civil Term (2nd Judicial District of New York) is located near Borough Hall in Brooklyn. Photo by Norah Hogan

Hon. Kathy King is a New York Supreme Court Judge, Civil Term, for the 2nd Judicial District of New York (Kings County). Photo by Norah Hogan

“In Brooklyn, we have one of the busiest courts in the States. Because Brooklyn is so diverse, there’s so many different types of people that come before the court,” Hon. King says. She believes that “being able to look at an issue from the perspective of the person who has come before you in the court” is essential. Kings Supreme Court, Civil Term. Photo by Norah Hogan

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“When I was a voter, I didn’t think people were very efficient,” Griffith said.  “I want to do it, because a lot of times, people are not that great.” 

Griffith picked a perfect year to volunteer. Given the risk of Covid, voters are hoping to get in and out of the polls safely and quickly.  Her fellow volunteer, Tammy Moore is helping her make that goal a reality. 

“She is really efficient,” Griffith said of Moore. “She’s excellent and she came up with this idea to keep it moving.” 

Griffith and Moore walk down the line and call out voting district numbers. The voters with that number on their voting card come to the front of the line. The system looks elusive from the outside, but whatever their doing works. 

Griffith arrived at the poll site at 5:00 A.M to set up. By 7:35 A.M. they had gotten through their first wave of morning voters. Their small team is a diverse one. Seniors like Griffith are working alongside young first time polls workers.  The fast moving poll site is a little microcosm of Crown Heights. 

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