SUSTAINABLE AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
Housing for Veterans
Pena says: Being homeless sucks. That said, whatever has brought you here to this shelter or transitional program, this housing section is designed to both educate you on the different programs but to also provide a few of the resources I have crossed paths within the last year. You are going to need all the documentation you can get BEFORE committing to the process of obtaining sustainable housing. If you have a DD214, be sure to get a New York State ID unless you own a car whereas you will want to get a driver's license. If you don’t have your DD214. The VA is supposed to help with that, but don’t count on it.
The Veterans Affairs HUD/VASH Program
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) is a program from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs VA to help veterans facing homelessness and their families find and sustain permanent housing under the Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher (HCV). The HUD/VASH program works as a rental subsidy that allows veterans to pay a reasonable amount of their income toward their rent. Think of Section 8 for veterans. Eligible veterans will receive a voucher to begin searching for housing. Generally, veterans will pay no more than 40 percent of their adjusted monthly income toward their rent share. The VA pays the remaining amount to the owner on the veteran's behalf. This payment to the owner is known as the Housing Assistance Payment. HUD/VASH participants must comply with all program requirements, including completing their annual certification, accommodating Housing Quality Standards inspections, allowing property owners to make any needed repairs, and adhering to the terms of their lease. HUD provides rental assistance vouchers for privately owned housing to veterans who are eligible for VA health care and are experiencing homelessness. VA case managers connect these veterans with additional support services.
Eligibility:
• Veterans must be VA health care eligible (determined by the VA).
• Veterans must also meet the definition of homelessness defined in The McKinney Homeless Assistance Act
• HUD-VASH prioritizes the chronically homeless
• At least one member of the veteran family must meet the documentation requirements of citizenship or eligible immigration status
• Veterans must provide social security numbers for all family members who claim citizenship or eligible immigration status
• No member of the veteran household may have been convicted for production of methamphetamines in federally-assisted housing
• No member of the veteran household may be subject to a lifetime registration requirement under a state sex offender registration program
• The veteran must be within the appropriate income limits for their family size.
How to Apply:
• Call 877-424-3838 to be connected with your local VA homeless program and apply. Visit the HUD-VASH website for more information.
• The public will be notified when applications are being accepted again. If you previously submitted a Section 8 application when the waiting list was open, log on to the Self-Service Portal to confirm the receipt of your NYCHA application. Learn more about Section 8.
New York State Department of Veterans' Services
While the veteran might initially come to NYC with the intention of settling here, other options are available. For the veteran sitting in a NYC shelter might consider seeking sustainable housing outside of the city for better access to resources, services, and housing opportunities. Rents are generally lower, and sustainable housing more accessible. As with individual contacts throughout the guide, the contacts listed here are those that I’ve met who ‘show up’ for veterans.
New York State’s Veterans Emergency Housing Assistance Fund
New York State’s Veterans Emergency Housing Assistance Fund assists Veterans who are confronting emergency housing needs and lacking the funds to cover these immediate costs. This is currently being run as a pilot program that will last through 2024. To qualify for these emergency funds, an applicant must be a Veteran living in New York State and facing an immediate housing hardship and is first – come, first – serve basis. Eligible Veterans can receive up to $2,000 apiece to help cover their emergency housing expenses. Eligible housing needs may include, but are not necessarily limited to:
• Emergency financial assistance to a Veteran whose home was badly damaged in a fire or natural disaster;
• Renovating a Veteran’s home that is no longer accessible due to the onset or worsening of a disability;
• Gaining temporary shelter when a Veteran suddenly loses access to their home or a Veteran’s home becomes no longer safely habitable;
• Replacing or repairing an essential home appliance that has been destroyed or severely damaged (e.g., furnace, water heater, etc.);
• Covering rent, utilities, or property tax payments that a Veteran missed due to illness or emergency;
• Any other payment that the Commissioner determines to fall within the purview of the program.
Veterans Emergency Housing Program Application
Applicants will be contacted by the Department of Veterans’ Services for a review of their application within two business days after submission. Applications can be emailed to housing@veterans.ny.gov
or sent via mail:
ATTN: Veterans Emergency Housing Program
New York State Department of Veterans’ Services
2 Empire State Plaza, Floor 17,
Albany, N.Y. 12223
Contact: Rapcelies Almonte / Veterans Benefits Advisor 1
Office of Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella
10 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
Phone: Mobile (929) 508-1213 / Office (718) 447-8787
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. To start the housing search process, it is not mandatory to have all the necessary documentation, but the quicker the veteran gets required documentation, the better.
Section 8 Tenants
The Housing Choice Voucher program, also known as Section 8, is a federally funded program that provides assistance to eligible low- and moderate-income families to rent housing in the private market. Eligibility for this program is based on a family's gross annual income and family size. To remain eligible for continued assistance, participants must:
• Comply with Section 8 program rules and regulations,
• Comply with the terms of the lease with the property owner,
• Allow Housing Quality Standards inspections and provide the Section 8 property owner to make any needed repairs, and
• Complete the annual recertification, and report family changes, on a timely basis.
A summary of program requirements can be found in the Housing Choice Voucher Program Guide for Voucher Holders.
Customer Contact Center (CCC). The CCC is NYCHA's single point of contact for public housing residents, Section 8 voucher holders, and Section 8 landlords.
Customer Contact Center (CCC): 718-707-7771
Customer Contact Center Walk-In Locations:
Bronx/Manhattan/Queens
478 East Fordham Road (1 Fordham Plaza), 2nd Floor
Bronx, NY 10458
Monday-Friday, 8am - 5pm
Brooklyn/Staten Island/Queens
787 Atlantic Avenue, 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11238
Monday-Friday, 8am - 5pm
HUD Subsidized Apartments
HUD helps apartment owners offer reduced rents to low-income tenants. To apply, contact or visit the management office of each apartment building that interests you. There are also several subsidized rental programs administered by New York State and New York City listed below. Click each link for additional information.
• Search for a HUD subsidized apartment
• Check the HUD Resource Locator
• Research listings in the New York State Affordable Housing Directory
• Register for online affordable housing lotteries in New York City
• Browse complete New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development lottery listings
• Browse complete New York City Housing Development Corporation rentals
• Browse complete New York State Housing Finance Agency lotteries and rentals
Please note that although many New York City subsidized housing lotteries are available via the www.nyc.gov/housingconnect website, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York City Housing Development Corporation, and the New York State Housing Finance Agency all have developments that require separate applications.
451 7th Street, S.W.,
Washington, DC 20410
Phone: 202-708-1112
330 W 30th St,
New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 987-6445
New York City Homebase (NYCHRA)
Homebase provides New Yorkers experiencing housing instability in the community with various homeless prevention services and aftercare services to families and individuals exiting NYC DHS shelter to permanent housing. Homebase locations are servicing clients either via phone or for in-person services. Anyone seeking Homebase services should call the office in advance to schedule an appointment.
Please use the Homebase locator to find the Homebase location that serves the ZIP code you currently reside in, along with the facility’s phone number. You may be eligible for Homebase services if you:
• Are at imminent risk of entering the NYC shelter system
• Are low-income
• Want to remain stably housed in your community
Homebase
516 W 181st Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10033
Housing Preservation and Development (NYC)
Our mission is to promote quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods. We do this by maintaining building and resident safety and health, creating opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability, and engaging New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity. If you’re a public housing resident and have an inquiry or complaint in your neighborhood, you may contact your local Borough Management Office.
• Bronx: 718-409-8626
• Brooklyn: 718-491-6967
• Manhattan: 917-206-3500
• Queens/Staten Island: 718-553-4700
Division of Code Enforcement offices are currently open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00am-2:00pm.
Division of Neighborhood Preservation offices are open Monday to Friday from 9:00am-4:00pm.
Please visit or call the Service Center in your borough for more information.
Division of Code Enforcement
• Obtain information on the requirements of the Housing Maintenance Code and Multiple Dwelling Law.
• Obtain information about housing code violations existing at your property and guidance on how to address them.
• Request inspections for the dismissal of corrected violations.
• Obtain complaint information.
• Use designated computers to access information about your property or HPD services.
• Obtain Departmental forms, including Property Registration.
• Learn more about our services.
Bronx
1932 Arthur Avenue, 3rd Floor
Bronx, NY 10457
212-863-7050
Brooklyn
701 Euclid Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11208
212-863-6620
Brooklyn
345 Adams Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
212-863-8060
Manhattan
94 Old Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10027
212-863-5030
Queens
120-55 Queens Boulevard
Kew Gardens, NY 11424
212-863-5990
Staten Island
10 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
212-863-8100
Division of Neighborhood Preservation
• One-on-one counseling on property management, finances, low-interest loans, grants, and other housing matters.
• Assistance to owners regarding correction and removal of housing code violations.
• Guidance regarding prevention of future housing code violations.
• Landlord-tenant mediation.
• Assistance with arranging access to facilitate repairs.
• Assistance to tenants regarding housing issues and repairs.
• Referrals to other HPD units/divisions, other City agencies and community organizations.
Bronx / Manhattan
1932 Arthur Avenue, 3rd Floor
Bronx, NY 10457
212-863-7100
Brooklyn / Staten Island / Queens
345 Adams Street, 10th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
212-863-7400
The Housing Preservation and Development Outreach Van
The HPD Outreach Van takes HPD's community engagement teams on the road, bringing information and services directly to tenants and homeowners across the five boroughs. Click here for the HPD Outreach Calendar (weather permitting).
HPD can help you:
• Prepare to Apply for Affordable Housing. Learn about opportunities and prepare to apply for affordable housing lotteries.
• Understand Your Rights and Responsibilities. Learn about the ABCs of Housing to understand your rights and responsibilities as a tenant or owner.
• File a Housing Complaint. Get help filing a complaint about housing code violations or landlord harassment.
• Finance Improvements and Repairs. Learn about and apply for financial assistance for property owners.
• Register Your Building. Get help registering your building as a property owner.
• Remedy a Violation. Learn how to remedy housing code violations at your property.
Housing Connect Lotteries
There are several avenues for obtaining sustainable housing including Housing Lotteries. The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and Housing Development Corporation (HDC) create affordable housing opportunities for many household income levels and sizes. The buildings are privately owned. HPD and HDC have a monitoring and oversight role.
Through Housing Connect, you can find and apply for affordable rental and homeownership opportunities. To qualify, your household must meet the income and size requirements for a unit in an affordable development. Your household is all of the people who will live in the affordable unit.
Before applying, please take time to read and review our helpful Resource Guides below with more information about getting ready to apply, what to expect, calculating your income, and after you apply. The guides below are currently being updated, though these versions continue to be useful for applicants preparing to apply for affordable housing.
CityFHEPS Vouchers / NYC
CityFHEPS is a rental assistance supplement to help formerly homeless individuals and families find and keep housing. Because of the recent migrant influx to NYC, the CityFHEPS voucher program has been expanded to all of New York State. Be sure to check with your housing specialist for details.
Eligibility:
Households must have a gross income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and meet one of the following five (5) criteria:
• The household includes someone who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and is at risk of homelessness; OR
• The household has an unexpired LINC, CITYFEPS, or SEPS letter at the time CityFHEPS eligibility is requested; OR
• The household gets LINC VI or Pathway Home benefits and would be eligible for CityFHEPS if they were in DHS or HRA shelter; OR
• The household was referred by a CityFHEPS qualifying program, and DSS determined that CityFHEPS was needed to avoid shelter entry; OR
• The household is facing eviction in court (or was evicted in the past year) AND:
• Includes someone who has previously lived in a DHS shelter; OR
• Includes someone who has an active Adult Protective Services (APS) case or is in a designated community guardianship program; OR
• Lives in a rent-controlled apartment and will use CityFHEPS to stay in that apartment.
How to Apply:
• To apply for CityFHEPS, you must visit one of the DSS nonprofit service providers. Contact a Homebase location in your borough: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island. The Homebase caseworker will collect the information needed by DSS to assess your potential eligibility for CityFHEPS. The caseworker may refer you to apply for other public benefits, including federal and state rental assistance programs. If your household is found eligible for and offered other benefits, you must accept them. This is required by the CityFHEPS program. Learn more about CityFHEPS.
Supportive and Affordable Housing and Services
Supportive housing is affordable housing with supportive social services in place for individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Types of Supportive Housing
Supportive housing typically comes in two setting model types: congregate (the only one developers work with) and scattered-site. In the Congregate Housing model, all tenants live in one building and each has his/her own individual room or apartment. Tenants have their own lease and pay rent directly to the landlord. These buildings typically have a rental subsidy connected to the apartment that allows the rent to be very affordable for the tenant. In a scattered-site model, apartments are scattered throughout the city in different buildings owned by private landlords. Leases are most often between the landlord and a non-profit provider. All tenants have a sub-lease and are responsible to contribute 30% of their income towards the rent and utilities. There are supportive housing programs designated for adult families (all adults over 18), for families with children, and for young adults (18-25) aging out of foster care or in a shelter who are pregnant or have children. As with all populations, a 2010e application must be submitted to determine if the head of household is eligible for supportive housing.
Eligibility:
• A person is eligible for supportive housing if they are an individual or family that is chronically homeless and has a mental illness and/or a substance use disorder.
How to Apply:
• All prospective tenants must work with a pre-approved social service or health provider to complete and submit an HRA 2010e application.
HIV/AIDS Services (HASA)
HASA assists individuals living with AIDS or HIV illness to live healthier, more independent lives. The program can help clients with individualized service plans to target necessary benefits and provide support that is specific to their medical situation and that will enhance their well-being. HASA clients receive ongoing case management and are assigned to a caseworker at one of our HASA centers, located in all 5 boroughs.
The CHALENG Process
Project CHALENG (Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups) unites homeless service providers, advocates, veterans and concerned citizens toward the goal of meeting the evolving needs of Veterans who are homeless.
The Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS)
The Center for Urban Community Services is available to help with the housing application process. Call CUCS at (212) 801-3333 and ask for a Housing Consultant for information about the HRA housing application and referral process. For additional referral information, contact CUCS. Once an application is submitted, a clinical team from HRA's Customized Assistance Services reviews the application and makes an eligibility determination.
Special One-Time Assistance Program (SOTA)
The SOTA program will pay one year of rent for NYC Department of Homeless Services clients to move within New York City, to other New York State counties, or to another state, Puerto Rico, or Washington, D.C.
Eligibility:
• Must be a client of NYC Department of Homeless Services (a client is someone who resides in a DHS shelter).
• Families with children who have been in a shelter for at least 90 days.
• Single adults and adult families who have been in a shelter for 90 days out of the last 365 days.
SOTA is only provided to households whom DSS has determined will likely have the future ability to pay the rent once they are no longer part of the SOTA program. Households must have recurring income from employment, SSI, or SSD benefits. Household rent must not exceed 50% of that current or projected income. If the household is moving within New York City (only), it must not be eligible for any federal, State, or City rental subsidy.
In order to use SOTA, clients will be required to provide proof of income, and the rent must not be more than 50% of household income.
How to Apply:
• Case managers and housing specialists identify NYC DHS clients who may be eligible for SOTA. In addition, clients may reach out to their case manager or housing specialist if they believe they may be eligible. Housing specialists assist clients with their housing search and clients may also identify units on their own.
Real Estate Agents, Brokers, & Landlords
When looking for an apartment, both the HUD/VASH voucher and the CityFHEPS voucher are supposed to be widely accepted. There are numerous housing programs around the city and each has its own housing specialist with their own real estate contacts, so be sure to explore all opportunities. In addition to housing case workers, each of SSVF programs have housing case managers with pre-approved rental agents.
Incentives for Renting to Veterans
At the end of December 2015, the federal government announced an end to chronic veteran homelessness in New York City, following a two-year effort by Mayor de Blasio to help veterans who have been homeless for a year or longer find a home. To support this effort, the incentives described below are currently available to landlords, brokers, and supportive housing providers.
• 15% Broker Bonus (15% of the annual rent) for brokers who connect homeless veterans with LINC apartments or units that can be subsidized using HUD VASH, HPD Section 8, and MRT vouchers.
• $1,000 Landlord Incentive for every apartment and commercial SRO with a one-year lease signed by a homeless veteran.
• $500 Room Rental Incentive to landlords renting rooms through the LINC program for every one-year lease signed by a homeless veteran.
• $1,000 Bonus to Supportive Housing (SH) Providers for each community unit rented to a veteran with a HUDVASH, HPD Section 8, or MRT voucher.
• $2,000 Bonus to Supportive Housing Providers for each community unit rented to a veteran with a LINC voucher.
• Access to a Special Supplemental Assistance Fund of up to $3,000 per year for landlords who house veterans, to cover potential damage to the apartment, as well as to assist with the payment of rental arrears, if needed.
Veteran-friendly Real Estate Agents:
Juanita George (917) 226-7329
K Land Realty
81-15 Queens Blvd, Ste. 203
Elmhurst, NY 11373
rentingnow@yahoo.com
Guy (914) 953-4075
Has listings for rooms that accept vouchers. Can accept multiple vouchers for roommates
Mike Lirman (646) 533-8686
Jam Properties
Brooklyn and Staten Island studios and one-bedrooms
Email: jamproperties999@gmail.com
Joan Campbell (845) 270-4744
Has apartments all over the city.
Sharon (347) 424-2251
Henrico (914) 663-2188
Mireya (917) 921-4438
Owen (917) 418-8486
Darrel (347) 683-5152
Nelson (917) 769-8590
Larry (646) 262-1776
David (929) 228-6644
Ian (347) 284-8930
Mr. E (646) 363-5321
Alonzo (914) 299-0420
Lee Harris (718) 820-2061
Michelle (646) 404-2964
Khayan Harris (718) 993-1101
