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Discussion on CityFHEPS and FEPS renewals for shelter clients
1:42:25
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Council Member Rita C. Joseph inquires about the lack of automatic renewals for FEPS and CityFHEPS for shelter clients. Commissioner Molly Wasow Park explains the differences between FEPS and CityFHEPS processes and the reasons for non-automated renewals in some cases.
- About 75% of initial CityFHEPS shopping letters are automated
- Non-automated cases require working with housing specialists or caseworkers
- Renewals involve a recertification process, with about 90% recertification rate annually
- Some renewals are not automated due to the need to adjust tenant share based on income changes
Rita C. Joseph
1:42:25
Quick question, why shelter clients are not receiving automatic FEPs and city FEPs renewals?
1:42:31
Is that a normal practice?
Diana Ayala
1:42:35
So
Molly Wasow Park
1:42:37
Let me separate FEPs and Citi FEPs because the processes are quite distinct.
1:42:42
So with Citi FEPs about 75% of shopping letters, so the initial go out, you appear to be eligible, you have the dispensation to go out and search.
1:42:54
About 75% of those are in fact automated.
1:42:59
Those that aren't automated are because we don't have the data to determine upfront that they meet the eligibility requirements, so in that instance the client will work with their housing specialist or their caseworker in shelter to do that.
1:43:15
For renewals there is a recertification process.
1:43:19
It's automated for a certain set of households that are on very fixed income, but because your tenant share does vary with your income that there is a process that we need to go through.
Diana Ayala
1:43:30
And how
Rita C. Joseph
1:43:30
long does that process take?
Molly Wasow Park
1:43:32
It's fairly streamlined.
1:43:35
It can be done online and frankly if a client lapses they can come back and do retroactively.
1:43:44
We see upwards of 90% recertification every year, and I wouldn't expect it to be 100% because people leave the city.
1:43:54
They may unfortunately pass away, their income goes up, there's a whole variety of reasons why I wouldn't expect it to be 100%.
1:44:03
So we're at about 90% recertification.
Rita C. Joseph
1:44:06
So why does it take so long leases, for processing lease for voucher holders?