Press Release
New York Poised to Expand State FHEPS Voucher Program
Today, Governor Hochul is set to sign A8009 (Rosenthal)/ S6573 (Kavanagh), an important law passed by the State Legislature last June which would expand New York State’s Family Homelessness and Eviction Protection Supplement (State FHEPS) program.
The Community Service Society (CSS) strongly supports this program, which provides New York City’s low-income families at risk of eviction – as well as families who have already gone homeless due to domestic violence or health and safety crises – with a voucher to help cover the cost of permanent housing, making it a crucial tool in preventing family homelessness and securing stable homes.
In the past, the voucher would only cover households living (or seeking to live) in relatively low-rent apartments – homes whose rent was under 85 percent of HUD’s Fair Market Rent (FMR) for New York City. Now, the voucher will cover apartments that cost anything up to FMR. According to CSS’s research in support of the legislation, this simple change will prevent 6,224 families from falling into homelessness, 85 percent of which are female-headed, 95 percent of which are in the outer boroughs, and 87 percent of which are families of color.
It will also improve the process of transitioning out of domestic violence shelters and into permanent housing. CSS commends Governor Hochul for signing this bill, and thanks the bill’s sponsors and advocates like The Legal Aid Society of New York for standing up for New York City’s low-income families.