NYC Distributing Thousands of Section 8 Vouchers After 2-Year Hiatus

An additional 6,200 low income New York City residents will be receiving Section 8 housing vouchers after the federal government increased funding for the program, but it will not make more than a dent in the waiting list, which currently numbers more than 100,000.

The city began issuing the vouchers this week for the first time in two years, according to amNewYork.

Lakesha Miller, executive vice president of the leased housing department at the New York City Housing Authority, said that 35 vouchers have already been issued to tenants. The voucher funds 70 percent of rental costs, with the residents required to pay the rest.

Miller said that about 2,000 vouchers will be distributed by July, with the remainder sent out by April of next year. To be eligible, single residents may earn up to $36,500 annually, and a family of four may have a maximum income of $52,150.

Miller said that under a system the agency recently established, the application process can be done and approved in a matter of hours.

“When we call a family in for an eligibility interview, if all the information is present, they’re receiving a voucher the same day,” Miller said. “We’re very, very excited about that because we know in New York City affordable housing is a big need.”

This article appeared in print on page 4 of the May 11th, 2018 edition of Hamodia.