Governor Kathy Hochul announced the $ 100 million designation that will help New Yorkers pay rent or find permanent housing if they are homeless.
The funding, reserved through the New York State Supplemental Rental Program, will allow counties to ease the transition of people located in homeless shelters to permanent housing, according to the governor.
The money can also be used to help low-income residents pay their rent. The Rental Supplement program will offer nearly $ 68 million in funding to New York City, as well as more than $ 32 million to counties outside of the Big Apple.
Hochul said the program will serve as a temporary relief from housing insecurity from the pandemic.
“The assistance, the first of its kind in many counties outside of New York City, will provide an interim measure to keep distressed tenants in their homes, while also helping those in the shelter system obtain housing, “said the president.
Payments from the Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program provided billions to landlords on behalf of tenants who were unable to pay rent due to financial difficulties related to the pandemic.
Six months after the program’s launch in New York, the state paid almost all of its funding allocation of $ 2.4 billion, much of which was spread over more than 81,000 rental assistance payments.
New York has since stopped accepting applications for the program, while Hochul and lawmakers urged the federal government to provide more funding. Last month, the governor submitted a request for $ 996 million in additional rental assistance funds from the Treasury Department.
The Rent Supplement Program, administered by the Office of Temporary Assistance, will now serve as the primary state-funded assistance program for residents struggling to pay rent after it was adopted during the fiscal year 2022 budget.
Meanwhile, the state’s moratorium on evictions will remain in effect until January 15, 2022.
Each county or locality must choose to participate in the program and submit a distribution plan to the Office of Temporary Assistance. They may choose to directly manage their assignment or delegate it to another public agency, contractor, or non-profit organization.
Counties can develop a program to meet the needs of their “underserved populations,” according to the governor’s office.
Households interested in the rental supplement cannot earn more than 50% of the area median income, and initial priority will be given to those earning 30% or less of that designation.
The supplement should be used for future rental payments, although the coverage of previous payments will be determined by local social service districts, according to the governor’s office.
Half of the supplements are intended for people living in shelters or who are homeless, the statement read. The program is also available to all eligible households, regardless of immigration status.
The amounts of the rental supplements will be financed at 85% of the fair local market rental values, although municipalities may choose to pay the remainder.
A household that receives the supplement will contribute no more than 30% of its total earned income to its monthly rent, authorities said in the statement.
“This funding will help counties move more individuals and families from a homeless shelter to permanent housing and will provide a safety net to prevent low-income households from slipping into housing insecurity or homelessness. housing, “said Barbara Guinn, executive deputy commissioner for the Office of Temporary Services.
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