Catholic Charities, through its HomeBase programs, provides New Yorkers experiencing housing instability with eviction prevention services. These programs, sponsored by the City of New York, help obtain a rental subsidy called FHEPS, and CityFHEPS.
FHEPS helps families who receive the government’s Cash Assistance (CA) program and who have been evicted or facing eviction, or who lost their homes due to domestic violence. Families who have lost their homes due to health or safety concerns, or as a result of court rulings, could also receive it. FHEPS can be used to stay in your housing, to move within New York City, or, if you have already lost your housing and are staying in a shelter, to move from there to an apartment.
To receive FHEPS, your family must include a child under 18 years of age, or under 19 years of age who is enrolled full-time in the educational program, or a pregnant person. You must also show that your CA case is active or that you are in a New York City shelter. Additionally, you must meet ONE of the following requirements:
· Be in a New York City HRA office shelter; or DHS and be eligible for shelter from the HRA office, or from DHS and have been evicted in New York City during the year you entered shelter.
· Be in the process of being evicted in New York City or have been evicted within the last 12 months, or must have received a rent claim letter from your landlord or the property management company.
CityFHEPS helps individuals and families find and keep housing. The program is administered by the Department of Social Services (DSS). Only DSS can determine your eligibility for the program, but you must have gross income at or below 200% of the poverty level as defined by federal law and meet one of the following four (4) criteria:
1. Household includes someone who served in the US Armed Forces.
2. The household receives Pathway Home benefits, and would be eligible for CityFHEPS if in a DHS or HRA shelter;
3. The household was referred by a qualified CityFHEPS program, and DSS determined that CityFHEPS was necessary to avoid shelter entry;
4. The household faces judicial eviction. And also
· Includes someone who previously lived in a DHS shelter;
· Includes someone who has an active Adult Protective Services (APS) case or who participates in a designated community guardianship program;
· You live in a rent-regulated apartment and will use CityFHEPS to stay in that apartment
Call 311 or 718-557-1399 to find your local Homebase Homelessness Prevention Office. Additionally, you can enter the website: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/hra/help/homebase-locations.page to find a Homebase provider serving your zip code area. Families who have left an HRA shelter should call 929-221-7270 to contact their local non-residential community program.
Larissa Story is Program Director, HomeBase for Catholic Charities of New York
2024-03-13 00:23:00
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