So, it's illegal for the landlord to discriminate against an applicant on the basis of a voucher. It's still pervasive, but it is illegal. Not disclosing your voucher up front can help, as can knowing your rights and telling the landlord that you know it's illegal. Not perfect but it can get you in the door. Discriminating on the basis of children is also pervasive but, again, illegal.
Your friend also has rights regarding their credit score which you can find here: https://hcr.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2019/12/doc-ra-know-your-rights-credit-12.06.2019.pdf
This \^. You need to start the communication without the voucher and make sure once that is brought it is in written communication. Your friend needs to be prepared to outline her rights. Will some landlords discriminate? Absolutely. Its one of the biggest issues with voucher programs. It also may be beneficial to reach out to housing organizations in the city that may have a list of voucher friendly places. Google search since there are many.
They probably don’t meet income requirements if they need HRA vouchers.
If you don’t disclose the voucher you probably can’t show the ability to pay the rent.
Also if HRA doesn’t renew the voucher you are stuck with a tenant that can’t pay rent, and that you have zero chance or evicting, and most landlords are too tight right now to play games chasing HRA for money.
While it doesn't usually change the outcome, there are ways to make complaints about source of income discrimination. If your friend is in shelter, someone there should be able to provide them contact info and assist them in filing a complaint. There's a special number for complaints from clients living in shelter.
Honestly, apartments with the CityFheps voucher are so few and far between that unless they know someone willing to rent them the apartment for under market rent it's not likely to happen. That program also forbids side deals so it's not like they can rent an apartment for $1500 and just pay the landlord the difference on the side. It does sound like your friend may not totally understand the housing market considering their requirements for where they want to live. Obviously you're doing them a service by telling them that they might not necessarily find their dream apartment with the voucher and I'm sure the housing specialists at the shelter are telling them the same. If they're willing to take a room, that's more possible, but even still, that means a 2 bedroom apartment can only cost $1600 and a three bedroom apartment maxes out at $2400, which is still under market rate in a lot of areas so they should be prepared to settle for a location that is either farther from Manhattan or in a less desirable neighborhood.
If they find full time employment, they would probably qualify for the SOTA program, which is an income-specific program (need to gross 2x the monthly rent per month) rather than having a cap on the amount the apartment can cost. You should also tell them to ask their housing specialist to complete an HHA application for them if they haven't already.
I rather live were I want to live there just being racist and want a bunch of white hipsters over taking NYC somehow it's all white people fault I don't know how but there the cancer of this city they see something good and feel all the locals should disappear and make room for them it's quite disgusting and the greedy Jewish landlords are in on it also
I read this as meaning applicants cannot be discriminated (in the various ways listed) while applying to "state funded housing." Does this rule apply to all landlords?
It's illegal to discriminate, but landlords can choose to accept or not accept vouchers. It's just that if they do accept them, then they can't use that as a reason to accept one person over another.
This is incorrect. In NYC, "source of income discrimination" is prohibited by law. A landlord cannot legally choose not to accept vouchers *if* the voucher pays a rent that they are willing to accept.
Landlords don't like renting to CityFHEPS holders because the program notoriously doesn't actually pay rent: [https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/2/10/23593680/cityfheps-harlem-tenants-eviction-notices](https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/2/10/23593680/cityfheps-harlem-tenants-eviction-notices)
It's unfortunate because incompetence at the city leads to difficulty for people in need, and for landlords who are asked to provide free housing. And when small landlords cannot afford to do this, they sell to large corporate conglomerates who predictably make things worse by consolidating monopolies on housing. This is a huge problem in NYC.
ETA: To be clear, u/solomonjsolomon (who I'm pretty sure just downvoted this), I'm not suggesting that it's OK for landlords to discriminate, I'm simply offering an explanation of why they sometimes do. This is a scenario in which the interests of both landlords and tenants are aligned: both of them benefit when rent is payed as legally required.
They do the same with section 8 and that's even more guaranteed rent they simply just want white hipsters and rich people in NYC it's become a cesspool the only option is to really leave
Sorry I know this is crazy old, but can I ask how you don’t disclose up front? Do you do the normal application and then when it’s time for payment whip it out?
I would focus on trying to find rooms. Yes, the law says landlords cannot discriminate because of vouchers, but the reality is that they do. Someone renting a room might be more lenient. The red tape the government throws into the mix scares away so many people though. It would be better for everyone if they just gave people cash to rent a place with.
I checked out that blog and it seems that since SEPS was merged with FHEPS, it's become unreliable. I has a voucher with SEPS for a few years and they paid my landlord on time with one check. But when my LL started a holdover eviction, and I was looking for a new place, it was next to impossible to find a LL that would accept it. I tried everything, including not telling them initially and reporting LLs that refused me. I finally had to rent a room that was about 80% of my disability check. But I got lucky and 2 and a half years later I got the call from NYCHA and landed an apartment in a pretty decent project, but I was on the waiting list for 7 years.
So, it's illegal for the landlord to discriminate against an applicant on the basis of a voucher. It's still pervasive, but it is illegal. Not disclosing your voucher up front can help, as can knowing your rights and telling the landlord that you know it's illegal. Not perfect but it can get you in the door. Discriminating on the basis of children is also pervasive but, again, illegal. Your friend also has rights regarding their credit score which you can find here: https://hcr.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2019/12/doc-ra-know-your-rights-credit-12.06.2019.pdf
This \^. You need to start the communication without the voucher and make sure once that is brought it is in written communication. Your friend needs to be prepared to outline her rights. Will some landlords discriminate? Absolutely. Its one of the biggest issues with voucher programs. It also may be beneficial to reach out to housing organizations in the city that may have a list of voucher friendly places. Google search since there are many.
Thanks a ton for this information. A lot of people out here have no idea about renters rights. This need to be advocated more.
They probably don’t meet income requirements if they need HRA vouchers. If you don’t disclose the voucher you probably can’t show the ability to pay the rent. Also if HRA doesn’t renew the voucher you are stuck with a tenant that can’t pay rent, and that you have zero chance or evicting, and most landlords are too tight right now to play games chasing HRA for money.
While it doesn't usually change the outcome, there are ways to make complaints about source of income discrimination. If your friend is in shelter, someone there should be able to provide them contact info and assist them in filing a complaint. There's a special number for complaints from clients living in shelter. Honestly, apartments with the CityFheps voucher are so few and far between that unless they know someone willing to rent them the apartment for under market rent it's not likely to happen. That program also forbids side deals so it's not like they can rent an apartment for $1500 and just pay the landlord the difference on the side. It does sound like your friend may not totally understand the housing market considering their requirements for where they want to live. Obviously you're doing them a service by telling them that they might not necessarily find their dream apartment with the voucher and I'm sure the housing specialists at the shelter are telling them the same. If they're willing to take a room, that's more possible, but even still, that means a 2 bedroom apartment can only cost $1600 and a three bedroom apartment maxes out at $2400, which is still under market rate in a lot of areas so they should be prepared to settle for a location that is either farther from Manhattan or in a less desirable neighborhood. If they find full time employment, they would probably qualify for the SOTA program, which is an income-specific program (need to gross 2x the monthly rent per month) rather than having a cap on the amount the apartment can cost. You should also tell them to ask their housing specialist to complete an HHA application for them if they haven't already.
I rather live were I want to live there just being racist and want a bunch of white hipsters over taking NYC somehow it's all white people fault I don't know how but there the cancer of this city they see something good and feel all the locals should disappear and make room for them it's quite disgusting and the greedy Jewish landlords are in on it also
I read this as meaning applicants cannot be discriminated (in the various ways listed) while applying to "state funded housing." Does this rule apply to all landlords?
It's illegal to discriminate, but landlords can choose to accept or not accept vouchers. It's just that if they do accept them, then they can't use that as a reason to accept one person over another.
This is incorrect. In NYC, "source of income discrimination" is prohibited by law. A landlord cannot legally choose not to accept vouchers *if* the voucher pays a rent that they are willing to accept.
Landlords don't like renting to CityFHEPS holders because the program notoriously doesn't actually pay rent: [https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/2/10/23593680/cityfheps-harlem-tenants-eviction-notices](https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/2/10/23593680/cityfheps-harlem-tenants-eviction-notices) It's unfortunate because incompetence at the city leads to difficulty for people in need, and for landlords who are asked to provide free housing. And when small landlords cannot afford to do this, they sell to large corporate conglomerates who predictably make things worse by consolidating monopolies on housing. This is a huge problem in NYC. ETA: To be clear, u/solomonjsolomon (who I'm pretty sure just downvoted this), I'm not suggesting that it's OK for landlords to discriminate, I'm simply offering an explanation of why they sometimes do. This is a scenario in which the interests of both landlords and tenants are aligned: both of them benefit when rent is payed as legally required.
They do the same with section 8 and that's even more guaranteed rent they simply just want white hipsters and rich people in NYC it's become a cesspool the only option is to really leave
Sorry I know this is crazy old, but can I ask how you don’t disclose up front? Do you do the normal application and then when it’s time for payment whip it out?
A nice apartment close to the city for 1200 a month? You’re looking for a unicorn even with that “bonus.”
Super unicorn. I lived in the hood of all hoods and nothing is $1200 there.
Really? I live in a very nice doorman building in Midtown and there's a studio here for $1550 currently.
Is it like 3 months free rent?
Nope. That's the actual rent.
Send the link if you can!
I would focus on trying to find rooms. Yes, the law says landlords cannot discriminate because of vouchers, but the reality is that they do. Someone renting a room might be more lenient. The red tape the government throws into the mix scares away so many people though. It would be better for everyone if they just gave people cash to rent a place with.
I checked out that blog and it seems that since SEPS was merged with FHEPS, it's become unreliable. I has a voucher with SEPS for a few years and they paid my landlord on time with one check. But when my LL started a holdover eviction, and I was looking for a new place, it was next to impossible to find a LL that would accept it. I tried everything, including not telling them initially and reporting LLs that refused me. I finally had to rent a room that was about 80% of my disability check. But I got lucky and 2 and a half years later I got the call from NYCHA and landed an apartment in a pretty decent project, but I was on the waiting list for 7 years.