NYC blocks measure that will expand the number of people who can benefit from housing vouchers

Community based organizations and qualified elected leaders like “cruel and inhumane”, measure judge the Manhattan Supreme Court, Lyle Frank, which ruled this past Thursday that the City Council did not have the authority to extend access to the City FHEPS housing vouchers, for people facing eviction or New Yorkers who earn more than the current rules allow.

Tenants who receive these vouchers usually pay 30% of their income towards rent, and this program covers that number.

The management is a victory for him Mayor Eric Adamswhich banned the measures in June 2023.

The city president’s legal team said state law justified the ban on the measures and affirmed that would cost billions of dollars to implement.

City attorneys asserted that “the City FHEPS reform laws are invalid because the state rule empowers local social service agencies, it is not for statutory bodies, such as the City Council, to establish eligibility rules“Frank wrote in his decision.

Leaders of the city chamber who agreed to these measures, They promised to appeal the decision.

According to municipal statistics, approx 11,000 households currently use CityFHEPS vouchers to help pay rent.

a life saver

For his part, Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalitionregret the court’s decision, indicating that this extension of CityFHEPS vouchers, it would be a lifesaver for vulnerable families, trapped in the shelter system and at risk of deportation.

“This decision is a devastating blow to low-income families and to all of us, Can you go through difficult times in the future. We support the Council in appealing this decision, and ask the mayor, to begin implementing real solutions to the problems facing so many New Yorkers.”

Awawdeh’s explanation is that the ruling also points to a serious problem for thousands of low-income New Yorkers, who are struggling to pay rent. since accessible spaces are available, continues to fall to historic levels and rental costs across the five boroughs continue to rise.

Likewise, the city manager defended his position, saying “if we consider the number of people who currently have CityFHEPS vouchers… and now we want to increase people significantly, “The program is going to be overloaded.”

The Ombudsman, Jumane Williams, In a statement he went directly against the legal decision, predicting that the housing crisis will deepen.

“The Adams administration’s refusal to pass another law twice by the Council, their decision to take this case to court instead of helping people get into housing, will leave many New Yorkers no options. This mayor says he cares about fair pricing, but once again he has failed to prioritize the needs of the city, about his personal policies,” he concluded.

In detail: What stopped?

• The new laws, as approved by the City Council, would have allowed voucher holders to rent apartments for the entire voucher, without first deducting utility costs, puts CityFHEPS families on the same level as Section 8 assistance recipients.

• Income eligibility would be increased 200% of the poverty line, at 50% of the area’s median income.

• It would expand eligibility for these housing “vouchers” to any income-eligible household at risk of eviction, and prevent the city from Merit based on employment status. That is to say, New Yorkers with jobs, but struggling with high rental costs, could qualify.