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Q&A
Discussion on Housing Choice Vouchers for NYCHA residents
2:45:06
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88 sec
Council Member Chris Banks questions NYCHA officials about the effectiveness of Housing Choice Vouchers as an alternative for residents who can't remain in NYCHA housing. The discussion highlights concerns about source of income discrimination and difficulties voucher recipients face in finding housing.
- Banks cites a report showing nearly half of NYCHA Section 8 voucher recipients lose their vouchers due to inability to find housing
- NYCHA officials acknowledge they're not the department managing voucher assistance, but offer to provide more information on initiatives to support residents
Simon Kawitzky
2:45:06
So, as I mentioned previously, the the the main option we have in that circumstance is to offer the resident a housing choice voucher which would allow them to move, basically port over their subsidy to rent an apartment in the private market.
Chris Banks
2:45:22
There's there have been reports that source of income discrimination combined with skyrocketing rents across the city make it incredibly difficult for voucher recipients to find housing.
2:45:36
So if they do choose to transfer or port that voucher or take that voucher and leave NYCHA.
2:45:44
A twenty twenty, twenty three report by NYU Furman Center found that nearly half of NYCHA section eight voucher recipients lose their vouchers because they were unable to find housing.
2:45:58
Is it NYCHA's position that the receipt of a section eight voucher is equivalent to the right of a tenant to have conventional public housing or to transfer in to conventional public housing or to developments across the NYCHA portfolio?
Simon Kawitzky
2:46:17
So unfortunately, we're not the department that typically manages helping residents navigate the identification of homes with the Housing Choice Voucher, but we can get you more information about the different initiatives that NYCHA has to support our residents making those moves.
Chris Banks
2:46:33
When it comes to transactional transparency, at a hearing in April of twenty twenty four before this committee, NYCHA testified that it does not publish the documents that govern its transactions with PAC partners.