Q&A
CityFHEPS voucher renewal process and termination rates
0:46:45
ยท
6 min
Commissioner Park discusses the renewal rates for CityFHEPS vouchers and the agency's efforts to improve the renewal process.
- About 90% of tenants renew their vouchers every year, which has been consistent over time.
- The commissioner notes that a 100% renewal rate is not expected due to various factors (e.g., moves, deaths, income changes).
- CityFHEPS renewals have been added to ACCESS HRA to make the process easier for people.
- The agency sends multiple renewal notices to tenants: 3 months, 2 months, and a final notice before expiration.
- Council Member Ayala raises concerns about tenants not receiving or understanding renewal notices.
- The agency is open to exploring new communication strategies, including social media and video content.
- There is some flexibility in reinstating vouchers for those who miss the renewal deadline but come in shortly after.
Diana Ayala
0:46:45
Okay.
0:46:45
How many CityFeb's tenants had their vouchers terminated for failure to renew in the current and past fiscal year?
Molly Wasow Park
0:46:51
So about 90% of tenants renew every year, and that's been quite consistent over time.
0:46:58
And I do wanna just caveat that figure a little bit to say we would never expect it to be a 100%.
0:47:05
So, right, people move, they pass away, they their income changes such that they're not gonna renew.
0:47:11
So from from where we sit, we think that 90% number is reaching the overwhelming majority of the people who should be renewing.
0:47:21
We have recently added CitiFEP's renewals to access HRA to try and make that easier for people.
Diana Ayala
0:47:27
And what what is the outreach effort to both the tenant and the landlord, as these cases approach their renewal deadline?
Molly Wasow Park
0:47:34
There are multiple mailings.
0:47:37
Andrea, is that something you can speak to?
0:47:39
Yeah.
Andrea Reid
0:47:40
Thank you, commissioner.
0:47:41
Thank council member for that question.
0:47:44
3 months in advance before the, lease is up for renewal, a notice goes out to the, household.
0:47:51
A second notice goes out about, at the 2 month marker, and then a third notice goes out to say that you are at risk.
Diana Ayala
0:48:03
I mean, I just I get a lot of cases where folks are telling you know, are complaining that they did not receive anything, letting them know that the voucher would be expiring, and I wonder, and I, and I actually had a case like this the other day where I had a, an elderly woman who has, you know, serious issues, actually the commissioner was very helpful with, who had the letter in her bag of documents and didn't know what it was.
0:48:37
I wonder if there's a better system, I, because I, I, I feel like a lot of folks are receiving, I mean, when HRA sends documents, they usually send it in, like, different languages, so you may get the same package 2 and 3 times, right?
0:48:52
I don't know if that's overwhelming folks that they're not realizing what it is that they're receiving.
0:49:00
But I do acknowledge, right, that in some of these cases, people did receive the letter, they just didn't know what it was.
0:49:05
And I wonder, I mean, it seems difficult, but if there's a better way, you know, highlighted in red, I don't know.
Molly Wasow Park
0:49:15
We're certainly happy to work with you to think about ways that we can, improve our our purchase tenant and client, communication.
0:49:24
You know, we really do try and think about different ways that we can get notices out.
0:49:28
It is important that we are sending them in writing and sending them in multiple languages because it's a legal requirement.
0:49:34
But, you know, we have you can't do this on a on an individual level, but how are we using social media to communicate with our with our clients?
0:49:44
We're try we are experimenting with different things.
0:49:46
There's not necessarily in the city of Pepsi renewal contracts, but we've been developing videos and things like that that we can put out there.
0:49:53
So, you know, if you have thoughts about the about ways that will be, that might resonate in terms of communication strategies, happy to talk about that.
0:50:04
I also just should add that we are fairly flexible on our city february rule strategy.
0:50:09
So if somebody doesn't renew, at the year mark but then comes in, you know, a few months later, we will, put them back in the program.
Diana Ayala
0:50:19
Yeah.
0:50:19
I just wonder I mean, since the percentage is not that high, is there are there other means of communication, you know, telephone calls, maybe, communicating directly with the landlord who can then, right, ensure that the the resident completes their recertification or at least can add some clarity as to what's happening with that individual tenant.
Molly Wasow Park
0:50:43
I mean, I I I do think the 90% renewal rate is relatively strong.
Diana Ayala
0:50:47
It is.
Molly Wasow Park
0:50:47
And, so but we will we can certainly think about different alternatives.
0:50:53
You know, I there's a a challenge and and and sorry.
0:50:59
One other piece that I wanted to say, we do do actually auto renewals, for people in many different circumstances.
0:51:05
So that if we have, if they're on fixed income, there's other categories, that we that we they don't have to submit paperwork for recertification.
0:51:15
So there's there's a universe that we are auto renewing as well.
0:51:20
You know, I think there's a challenge with communicating with landlords about tenant Responsibilities.
0:51:28
Responsibilities and tenant individual dynamics that I think can be hard that some people, you know most landlords are very good actors and and are there to look out, for their tenants and will will understand that also ongoing receipt of city facts is in their best interest, but there are landlords as you indicated before that will discriminate against voucher holders.
0:51:53
So I think how we pull landlords into that is also a somewhat complicated one.
0:51:58
But But you stated that, you know,
Diana Ayala
0:51:59
you're already that they are already receiving a notice 3 months ahead.
0:52:05
Right?
0:52:05
That that that that letter goes out to the tenant and the landlord?
Molly Wasow Park
0:52:09
It's it's the tenant.
0:52:11
Just
Diana Ayala
0:52:11
the tenant?
Molly Wasow Park
0:52:12
So but I hear the point, and and it is certainly something that we can take back.
Diana Ayala
0:52:18
I mean, I just figured it it, you know, it it becomes more expensive to not address it in the beginning because now a person doesn't have it, doesn't realize they don't have it.
0:52:28
They enter, you know, into arrears.
0:52:30
They have to go to court.
0:52:32
They have to come back to you.
0:52:33
You have to help them pay the arrears.
0:52:35
And, you know, and and now see if they qualify again.
Molly Wasow Park
0:52:39
Right.
0:52:39
Absolutely.
0:52:40
And that's, you know, it's why we send multiple notices.
0:52:43
It's why we are flexible, you know, give some flexibility on the date, things like that.
0:52:47
But at the end of the day Yeah.
0:52:50
Like, there is there is a level of tenant engagement that we do need.
0:52:55
No.
0:52:55
Understood.