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By Gowry Konkesa

The New York City Council on Oct. 5 passed Intro 0703, which aims to prevent evictions for tenants receiving rental assistance through the CityFHEPS rental assistance program.

CityFHEPS is a New York City program under the Department of Social Services that provides rental aid to families who receive cash assistance and who have previously lost their housing due to reasons such as evictions, health issues, or domestic violence. Due to late or incorrect rental assistance payments from the city, landlords can be hesitant to rent to those receiving rental assistance, contributing to income discrimination.

Intro 0703, sponsored by District 7 City Council member Shaun Abreu, will require that the Department of Social Services post a quarterly report of its rent assistance payments on its website and also send this report to the Speaker of the Council, Adrienne Adams.

The report will provide information as to the timeliness of the payments and will include details for each unique voucher, including the payment amount, the reason it was late, and steps to ensure timely payment in the future, if applicable. The first report is due 30 days following the Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023 quarter.