A new bill introduced by Council Member Ben Kallos would require landlords to provide broadband internet. It would also forbid them from passing on the costs of internet service to tenants.
by Christian Britschgi
Reason.com
Eviction moratoriums effectively required landlords to provide free housing to non-paying tenants during the pandemic. In New York City, landlords might soon have to provide free internet services as well.
A new bill introduced by New York City Council Member Ben Kallos would require the owners of buildings with 10 or more units to provide their tenants with free broadband internet service.
“We can finally end the digital divide and bridge the homework gap by making sure every apartment in New York City comes with Internet,” said Kallos in a statement. “You can’t get a vaccine if you can’t get online to schedule or even find an appointment, this pandemic has shown that the Internet is now a necessity.”
A press release from Kallos’ office cites a 2020 Citizen’s Committee of Children report finding that 500,000 households in the city have no internet access.