State legislative leaders are in negotiations with Gov. Kathy Hochul to hold a special session of the legislature next week to address the eviction moratorium, which expires on Tuesday. 

In a statement Friday afternoon, Hochul confirmed she is considering calling lawmakers back to Albany.

"I am in talks with the Senate Majority Leader and Assembly Speaker to call a special session to address the impending eviction crisis, given the Supreme Court's decision," Hochul said. “Our teams will be working through the weekend to address how best to deliver relief to renters and homeowners in need as quickly as possible."

On Thursday night, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal moratorium on evictions. And just recently, the court had also ruled against a portion of New York’s moratorium law, which was put in place at the start of the pandemic. The law protected tenants suffering a financial hardship who were unable to pay rent.

Insiders say that while the court rulings complicate the status of New York’s law, they believe a new version can be drafted and passed by the legislature that would hold up in court. 

Hochul said on Thursday that she didn’t have the authority to call lawmakers back next week for a special session, but legislative sources believe she does have the ability to call both houses into session. 

Earlier this year, lawmakers approved more than $2 billion in rental assistance for those failing to make rent payments due to the pandemic, but critics say mismanagement of the fund under the Cuomo administration prevented most of the money from getting to those in need. Anyone who has applied for assistance through the fund is protected from eviction for up to one year. Those who haven’t applied are protected until August 31, when the statewide moratorium expires.