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As of June 30, 2007 HRA and DHS are no longer issuing HSP letters of eligibility to shelter residents. Those residents who received HSP letters must have submitted lease packages to HRA or DHS on or before June 30, 2007 to remain eligible for the program.
The Housing Stability Plus program began in New York City in 2005 and provided rental support to help domestic violence and homeless shelter residents obtain permanent housing.
Current HSP tenants may continue to receive their subsidy for the remainder of the five-year HSP time limit but, the subsidy amount will not decline (or “step-down”) in 20% increments at the end of each year as was the case when the program first began. However, in order to continue to receive HSP, tenants must maintain active public assistance cases.
Some HSP tenants may have the opportunity to transfer into the Advantage NY Programs if they meet eligibility requirements. Click here for information on the Advantage NY Programs. If you are interested in switching to the Advantage NY Program you should contact DHS at 212-331-4200 before August 31, 2008.
For assistance in navigating the transition from HSP to Advantage NY you may contact Lindsey Davis at the Coalition for the Homeless at 212- 776-2012 or visit the Coalition’s Crisis Intervention Program.
Crisis Intervention Program - Walk In Clinic
Coalition for the Homeless
129 Fulton Street in downtown Manhattan
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9am-2pm or the first 50 people who arrive
Wednesday and Friday from 9am-11am or the first 30 people who arrive
All HSP tenants who do not switch to the Advantage programs should be aware that even without facing future step-downs, changes in their Public Assistance case could lead to changes in their HSP subsidy.
The Housing Stability Plus subsidy consists of two pieces – the HSP supplement and the public assistance (PA) shelter allowance.
Housing Stability Plus tenants should be aware, that even without step-downs, they may be responsible for a certain portion of their rent due to a decrease in the budgeted PA shelter allowance.
- Households that receive an increase in earned or unearned income may experience a decline in their PA benefits that will affect the total amount of their HSP subsidy.
- For this reasons, households need to consider how increases in income affect their PA budgets and prepare to pay an increased portion of the rent and/or lose the entire HSP subsidy.
- For more information about how a family’s HSP may be affected with increases in income, click here.
HSP tenants should do the following to help ensure they maintain their HSP housing:
- Stay in touch with your landlord to ensure that you are aware of any changes in rent payments from PA and HSP
- Stay in touch with Public Assistance to ensure that you are aware of any changes to your PA or HSP cases
- Stay in touch with community and social service providers to help address any issues that arise with your PA or HSP budgets
Click here for resources to help maintain HSP housing – including contact information for PA offices, housing offices, legal providers, and workforce development agencies in each borough.
Households that cannot meet the increasing rent responsibility of HSP and face eviction may be eligible for the Family Eviction Prevention Supplement (FEPS) and other eviction prevention programs. Please click here for eviction prevention resources in New York City.
If you are an HSP tenant and are seeking a transfer to another apartment you may request a transfer at your PA center. Because no new HSP vouchers are being given to shelter residents HSP apartments are very hard to find. However, those seeking HSP apartments should keep the following in mind:
- HSP tenants cannot rent an apartment that is higher than the HSP rent amounts.
- HSP pays three months’ rent to the landlord at the lease signing, as well as a security deposit and any broker’s fees.
- Domestic violence shelter residents cannot rent an apartment in certain excluded zip codes depending on where any domestic violence incidents occurred. For help finding an apartment, visit our Finding Housing section.
Click here for a chart providing information about the subsidy level households can expect based on the number of family members receiving Public Assistance.
If you are encountering a problem with your HSP subsidy, you can also contact HousingLink via our feedback form or through our HelpLine at 646-472-0262 ext. 15.
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