A new state law that will boost rental subsidies to thousands of struggling New York City families living in shelters or at risk of eviction has been signed into law, taking effect immediately.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill Friday that will bolster the state Family Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (FHEPS) program by raising the maximum available voucher, a move meant to make it easier for families to find an apartment in the city and reducing the rate of homelessness.
“It’s this simple: If we want to get people out of shelters, we have to give them enough money to afford the rent, right?” Hochul said at a bill signing ceremony at the Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center at Goddard Riverside in Manhattan. “You can’t just say, ‘Go out on the street, good luck.’ The rents are going up.”
For years, the FHEPS program has provided monthly rental subsidies to New York City families who are in shelters or at risk of homelessness because of a pending eviction. The subsidies maxed out at 85% of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “Fair Market Rate,” which it sets annually for each metropolitan area in the country. In New York City, the Fair Market Rate for a two-bedroom apartment is set at $2,026 for the current federal fiscal year -- or $304 higher than the 85% mark.
Under the new state law, the maximum amount will increase to 100% of the Fair Market Rate.
The measure essentially increases a monthly subsidy by a few hundred dollars a month, making more families eligible for the program while making it easier for thousands of people at risk of homelessness to take advantage of the program.
The bill was sponsored by state Senator Brian Kavanagh and Assembly member Linda Rosenthal, both Manhattan Democrats.
It had support from a number of organizations that provide services to low-income New Yorkers, including the Legal Aid Society, which estimated the new law will help prevent an additional 2,300 families from becoming homeless.
Rosenthal said the law will “change people’s lives for the better.”
“We will ensure that thousands of vulnerable families, especially families of color headed by women, can pay the rent and be safely housed,” she said.
