2021 Fall Essay Contest Winners

The Previous Fall 2021 Scholarship Essay Contest – (See Winning Essays and Winners Below)
The 2021 Fall Essay Contest dealt with the ongoing foreclosure and eviction moratorium in New York State, that lasted almost two (2) years, from March 2020, until January 15, 2022. In the Fall of 2021 the federal moratoriums had already to a large extent ended and were being continued selectively on a state by state level, depending on the politics and conditions in that state. Certain states including New York State continued the moratoriums on a state level. It was hard to tell in the Fall of 2021 for how long New York State would continue its moratoriums in that there were many cost versus benefit issues as the pandemic continued and many questions as to how long these moratoriums could realistically continue. On the one hand Covid-19 did have a disproportionate affect on New York State and it was not an appropriate time for vulnerable persons to worry about losing their homes. on the other hand there were real questions whether the moratoriums were the appropriate way to protect persons affected by Covid or whether they were well intentioned but overly broad solutions that could potentially cause harm to marginal landlords while protecting many people not truly hurt by Covid.

The wording of the essay topic dealing with the ongoing New York State moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures is below. We received many excellent essays. The three students winning first, second and third place for their essays are shown below with a link to their essays.

Topic of Previous Fall 2021 Scholarship Essay –

“During the last year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and interruptions to our economy, many states and the federal government imposed foreclosure and eviction moratoriums that protected non-paying mortgage borrowers and tenants. While this protection in many cases was needed to protect persons in financial hardship stay in their homes during a pandemic, it at the same time caused hardship for mortgage holders and landlords who could not enforce payment obligations. Please discuss whether and under what circumstances such foreclosure and eviction moratoriums can and should be imposed by the federal and/or state/local governments and whether and under what circumstances such moratoriums should continue. Please cite specific laws and references in developing your arguments.”