Gov. Kathy Hochul touted state funding, prosecution tools and prevention efforts during a Brooklyn roundtable on deed theft Wednesday, but her office did not
Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during a deed theft and homeownership fraud roundtable with advocates and elected officials at a Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.touted state funding, prosecution tools and prevention efforts during a Brooklyn roundtable on deed theft Wednesday, but her office did not commit to the eviction pause that,Hochul to support a temporary moratorium on evictions involving properties where deed theft or related fraud may be at issue.
Hochul’s office said after the event that the governor cannot unilaterally impose such a moratorium under her emergency powers without an underlying state disaster emergency. The position leaves unresolved a key demand from local City Council Member Chi Ossé, the People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft, and other elected officials. Back in February, they first urged Hochul to enforce a temporary eviction moratorium on New York City properties where there is a possibility of deed theft or fraud.
Ossé and representatives of the People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft, who have been among the most vocal proponents of an eviction pause, were not at Wednesday’s roundtable.
“No New Yorker should be cheated out of the opportunity to own a home, which is why Governor Hochul took substantive steps to give law enforcement the tools they need to hold thieves and scammers accountable and prevent deed theft from occurring,” a Hochul spokesperson said when asked about the calls for an eviction pause and broader cease-and-desist protections. “Additionally, last year, the Governor took action to protect homeowners by signing legislation strengthening important cease and desist zone notification procedures.
”NYPD officers arrest Brooklyn Council Member Chi Ossé during a Bedford-Stuyvesant protest over an alleged deed-theft eviction on Wednesday, April 22The roundtable placed Hochul in the middle of a growing fight over deed theft and homeownership fraud in central Brooklyn, where elected officials and advocates say predatory real estate schemes threaten Black homeownership, neighborhood stability, and generational wealth. Hochul told homeowners and elected officials gathered Wednesday that the state has increased funding for homeowner protection programs and changed state law to give prosecutors more tools to pursue deed theft cases and intervene in disputes over possession or ownership.
Hochul added that funding for a homeowner protection program had been doubled under her administration, from about $20 million to about $40 million annually, and said the state had allocated more than $200 million for the program since she took office. But Hochul also acknowledged the need to assess whether the state’s response is reaching people before they lose their homes.
“Are we seeing the effects of these laws now? ” Hochul asked.
“Are we feeling that the situation is more known to people? ” Brooklyn Assembly Member Latrice Walker used that opening to state that several gaps remain in the system. Walker said homeowner protection funding often flows to nonprofit organizations, but not necessarily to defense attorneys who can represent homeowners in court. Homeowners may attend workshops or receive advice on wills, trusts and estates, she said, only to leave with a bill or retainer they cannot afford.
She said legal services groups may advise homeowners in foreclosure cases or help guide them through the process, but that does not always mean a lawyer takes over the case.
“There is a defense bar that’s established here in central Brooklyn that I think deserves to be able to gain access to some of the HOPP resources,” Walker said, referring to the state’s Homeowner Protection Program. Walker also pointed to estate-planning issues that can make families vulnerable to losing homes.
She said some people are unable to name children as executors because of prior felony convictions involving theft or fraud, creating what she described as a “back-end” vulnerability in passing homes between generations. She also raised concerns over protections for bona fide purchasers, saying that even when a bad actor is found to have committed a crime, a later buyer who says they did not know about the fraud may not have to return the home to the original owner.
“This person is convicted on this,” Walker said. “This person is brought to term, but how do I get the house back? ”. At that event, Attorney General Letitia James called for expanded legal representation for homeowners and cease-and-desist designations in central Brooklyn.
Cease-and-desist zones are designated by the state Department of State to curb aggressive real estate solicitation. In those areas, real estate brokers, salespeople, and others regularly engaged in buying and selling property are barred from soliciting listings from homeowners who have registered for the state’s cease-and-desist list. The state currently has a Kings County zone covering part of Community Board 17, but advocates have called for broader protections in central Brooklyn.
James said in April that the state had set aside $40 million to support legal services for homeowners, but added, “That’s not enough. ”James also said the state did not need to wait for legislation to designate parts of central Brooklyn as cease-and-desist zones, arguing that the secretary of state could act “today, with a pen. ” Attorney General Letitia James speaks during Friday’s announcement of New York City’s new Office of Deed Theft Prevention in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams made a similar appeal at the April event, saying he was thankful for what Hochul had done but wanted “the Governor to listen to what was asked. ” “The Secretary of State can, right now, do the cease and desist,” Williams said.
“There is no need to wait. ” Hochul’s office did not respond to questions on whether the administration would expand cease-and-desist zones in areas where deed theft is most prevalent. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Wednesday that his office has seen deed theft schemes become more complex.
He said cases increasingly involve networks of people who identify vulnerable homeowners, buy up small interests in properties, purchase debt, make false promises to help with a bank or short sale, or hold onto signed documents for years before moving to force homeowners out. Gonzalez said his office recently secured the return of nine deeds to families after a conviction.
He also announced that his office would create a housing justice bureau to work with homeowners earlier in the process and coordinate with the sheriff when suspicious cases arise.
“By the time we get involved, often the people are out of their homes,” Gonzalez said. “You want to be in the front end now. ”The setting carried its own history. The roundtable was hosted by Marilyn Reid, a longtime member of the Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant, a civic group founded in 1978 to help preserve the neighborhood’s housing stock.
Reid said she and her family bought the brownstone decades ago for $60,000 after attending one of the group’s house tours. In an interview after the roundtable, she said she became involved in neighborhood preservation because of “the love of community. ” Reid said the Brownstoners had previously organized door-to-door outreach around tax liens, sending volunteers out in groups to connect homeowners with one-on-one help before they lost their homes.
She said a similar block-by-block effort is needed on deed theft, with workshops on wills, trusts, estate planning and property records.
“We need to get out there and go hand by hand, foot by foot, letting people know you do not have to lose your home,” Reid said during the roundtable. Gov. Kathy Hochul listens as Marilyn Reid, a longtime member of the Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant, speaks during a deed theft and homeownership fraud roundtable at Reid’s Bed-Stuy brownstone on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
The February initiative from Ossé, the People’s Coalition to Stop Deed Theft and other elected officials called for more than an eviction pause. It also sought a citywide opt-out cease-and-desist zone to curb predatory real estate, legal and financial solicitation; a right to counsel for homeowners facing deed theft cases; dedicated investigative units in district attorney offices; loan forgiveness and refinancing help for homeowners facing liens and financial hardship; and stronger LLC transparency laws.moved some of that fight to City Hall.
Mamdani created the office by executive order, housed it within the Department of Finance and announced a six-month pause on tax lien sales, but he stopped short of endorsing the eviction moratorium advocates have demanded. Hochul did not announce a new state moratorium or cease-and-desist designation on Wednesday. Instead, she emphasized prevention, education, and enforcement, saying the state’s goal is to make homeowners aware of their rights and ensure scammers are prosecuted.
“I think the best strategy is to make sure that people are aware,” Hochul said near the end of the roundtable. ‘A syndicate crime’: Bed-Stuy eviction fight continues as homeowner and activists allege deed theft, court misconductEXCLUSIVE: 63-block stretch of Manhattan’s 6th Avenue will get a busway under DOT proposal America 250: Richmond County DA, community leaders honor the Stars and Stripes at Staten Island Flag Day ceremonyHouse of GOAL to bring two-week soccer festival to Brooklyn’s Industry City during FIFA World CupHouse of GOAL to bring two-week soccer festival to Brooklyn’s Industry City during FIFA World CupBronx Times
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
3 million New York residents to receive $2 billion in tax relief checks. Here's when Gov. Hochul says they'll arrive.There is good news for hard-pressed New York state residents -- 3 million will be receiving tax relief checks in the next few months.
Read more »
Millions of N.Y. homeowners will get a check in the mail or tax credit. Here's how to check on yours.Gov. Kathy Hochul says millions of New York homeowners are set to receive $2 billion in property tax relief.
Read more »
Victoria Beckham Is Reportedly 'Gutted' Over Brooklyn Beckham's Latest Snub in Their FeudTheir feud continues to rage on.
Read more »
Hochul announces $2 billion in tax relief for 3 million New York homeowners and seniors this summerGov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday that nearly 3 million New York homeowners and seniors will receive tax relief this summer through New York’s Schools
Read more »