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Q&A
Addressing concerns about processing time for voucher holder leases
1:44:06
ยท
94 sec
Council Member Rita C. Joseph raises concerns about the long processing time for leases for voucher holders, which can lead to voucher expiration. Commissioner Molly Wasow Park explains the current timelines and challenges in the process.
- Average processing time from package receipt to move-out is about three weeks
- The longer delay often occurs between receiving the shopping letter and submitting the package
- Low vacancy rates (1.4% citywide, even lower for affordable housing) contribute to difficulties in finding apartments
- Efforts to address the issue include using CityFHEPS to finance affordable housing, making CityFHEPS usable statewide, training shelter staff, and conducting landlord outreach
Rita C. Joseph
1:44:06
So why does it take so long leases, for processing lease for voucher holders?
1:44:13
It takes a very, very long time and by then sometimes the voucher expires, they have to start all over again and if you have a family and the whole purpose of it, if I get it right, is to move them out of shelter, put them in permanent homes.
1:44:26
So why does the process take so long?
Molly Wasow Park
1:44:28
So on average right now it takes from the point in time that we receive a CityFepps package until move out is about three weeks.
1:44:36
There is some variation on that average certainly, and I know there are instances where we've run into challenges and we have to do individual problem solving, but as I say, the average is pretty tight right now.
1:44:50
I think what can take a much longer period of time is from the point where you get your shopping letter where it says you appear to be eligible, go find an apartment until we're able to get that package.
1:45:04
And that I think is really a reflection of the housing market in New York City.
1:45:08
We have a 1.4% vacancy rate and it's even lower for affordable housing.
1:45:13
It's part of the reason why we have started to actually use city feps to finance affordable housing as I was talking about.
1:45:20
It's why we've made city FEPs usable statewide so that people have more options.
1:45:25
But it's really challenging.
1:45:27
We've been doing a lot of training with our shelter staff to help them with the city FEPs processing and a lot of outreach to the landlord community to try and also help with that search process.