Over 4,000 Families Will Enter Affordable Homes More Quickly Every Year
Adams Administration Has Taken Bold Short- and Long-Term Steps to Ease Pressures of Housing Crisis, Including Helping More New Yorkers Move into Permanent Affordable Homes With CityFHEPS Vouchers in FY23 Than in Any Other Year
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr., and New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Eric Enderlin today announced that New York City households with housing vouchers will no longer undergo credit checks when selected for affordable housing — immediately accelerating the process of entering new, affordable homes for over 4,000 families every year. For New Yorkers with rental assistance vouchers, undergoing credit checks and providing rental history represent unnecessary barriers to obtaining affordable housing, since their ability to pay rent is guaranteed by either their qualification for a rental subsidy or by the rental subsidy connected to the affordable unit.
Today’s major action builds on significant steps the Adams administration has taken, particularly as part of Mayor Adams’ “Housing Our Neighbors” blueprint, to get New Yorkers into permanent affordable homes more quickly. Over the last year, Mayor Adams has expanded eligibility for City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) housing vouchers and eliminated both the 90-day waiting period for families in shelters to access CityFHEPS and the four-month period many New Yorkers in shelter were waiting before being evaluated for any permanent housing option. The Adams administration also connected more New Yorkers with CityFHEPS vouchers to permanent affordable homes in Fiscal Year 2023 than in any year in the program’s history, while creating the second-most new affordable homes and the most new supportive homes and homes for New Yorkers formerly homelessness in the city’s history. Mayor Adams continues to tackle the city’s underlying housing shortage — allowing New Yorkers to use CityFHEPS vouchers anywhere in New York state and unveiling an historic proposal last month to update 60-year-old zoning laws and build more than 100,000 additional new homes.
“Since I became mayor, our administration has been relentless in taking on the city’s affordable housing crisis from every angle, and we are taking another critical step forward today,” said Mayor Adams. “Every New Yorker knows we don’t have enough affordable homes, but once you find one, the city should do everything in its power to give you the keys as quickly as possible. Once again, we are taking bold action to make that a reality by no longer requiring New Yorkers to undergo a credit check when selected for affordable housing. This one change will help more than 4,000 New York families move more quickly into a home and take the next step towards building a more supported life.”
“In the midst of a housing and affordability crisis, we must use every tool at our disposal to ease the burden on working families so they can live and thrive in New York City,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “Removing credit checks from the housing voucher process will speed up the time it takes for families to move into new homes, providing stability and security to thousands of households each year. This action will improve tenants’ access to affordable housing in a timely manner, including for those experiencing homelessness, who so often have greater barriers to entry in the housing market.”
“If an individual or a family holds a housing voucher, they should be able to secure their new home with as smooth a process as possible,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Today’s announcement cuts additional red tape by eliminating credit checks for voucher holders and enables them to transition more quickly into stable housing. It is yet another step the Adams administration is taking to realize our goal of making a permanent home a reality for every New Yorker.”
“Credit checks create a massive and unnecessary obstacle, disproportionately harming low-income New Yorkers. For people with bad or no credit, the elimination of credit checks could mean the difference between having a home and being homeless,” said HPD Commissioner Carrión. “Eliminating credit checks for voucher holders is an important step towards providing fair and efficient housing to New York City’s most vulnerable residents.”
“With today’s announcement, thousands of New Yorkers will no longer need to fear a credit check impacting their chances to access safe and affordable homes,” said HDC President Enderlin. “I commend our partners for their ongoing efforts to reduce unnecessary burdens and unlock more housing opportunities for those in greatest need.”
“By removing unnecessary barriers to permanent affordable housing and expanding access to city-funded rental assistance, the Adams administration continues to take the necessary steps to move more of our most vulnerable neighbors into the homes they deserve,” said New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. “Credit checks were an onerous and needless requirement for New Yorkers with rental assistance vouchers that guarantee the household’s ability to pay rent. Eliminating them will significantly expedite the process of obtaining affordable housing for thousands New Yorkers experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity each year and allow those most in need to attain housing they have far too long been excluded from.”
Eliminating credit checks will significantly shorten the screening process for New Yorkers with housing vouchers, including Section 8 or CityFHEPS, when applying through Housing Connect for HPD- or HDC-subsidized homes linked to rental subsidies or homes directly set aside for those who formerly experienced homelessness. This pivotal step will promote equity by saving thousands of low-income New Yorkers a hard credit check in the rental application process and potentially harming their credit scores.
The Adams administration made today’s announcement by issuing an amendment — detailed in the HPD-HDC Marketing Handbook — that prohibits marketing agents from conducting credit checks, utilizing credit score information, or requiring rental history in lieu of a credit check to determine eligibility for voucher holders. HPD already allows applicants to opt into providing 12 months of consistent rent payments instead of credit checks, allowing prospective tenants to choose the screening criteria. If the marketing agent is permitted to conduct a credit check, they may only reject applicants on specific grounds, including bankruptcy, delinquencies, collections, money judgments, or liens.
Over 80,000 households have indicated that they qualify for a housing voucher in Housing Connect, the city’s affordable housing lottery. By removing this financial barrier, the amendment ensures that individuals who have lower credit scores or are experiencing financial hardships are not unfairly excluded from critical affordable housing opportunities. Eliminating credit checks not only addresses the immediate housing needs of residents but also paves the way for a more equitable and inclusive housing landscape in New York City.
“Urban Upbound applauds the Adams administration’s decision to eliminate credit check requirements for households using housing vouchers, including Section 8 and CityFHEPS,” said Bishop Mitchell Taylor, CEO and co-founder, Urban Upbound. “This move correctly identifies safe and affordable housing as a strong determinant of an individual or family’s ability to achieve financial stability and personal well-being.”
“NYSAFAH is extremely supportive of New York City’s decision to remove credit checks for voucher recipients in affordable housing. This will eliminate a pointless administrative process and save time and money for both government and housing providers,” said Jolie Milstein, president and CEO, New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH). “This move is exactly the kind of action that New York City needs to speed up the process of getting New Yorkers into high-quality affordable housing.”
“The Housing Partnership appreciates the Adams administration’s continued and demonstrated commitment to streamline the activities that put needy families and individuals in housing quicker, especially during a time of legislative inaction on housing production with an historic housing crisis in every borough of the city,” said Jamie Smarr, president and CEO, Housing Partnership.
“Over the course of the last year, HPD has been focused on ways to get poor and vulnerable households into high-quality, affordable homes faster,” said Kirk Goodrich, president, Monadnock Development. “This initiative brings us one step closer to the ultimate goal of getting every vacant unit filled within 30 days, so we can reduce our reliance on emergency and transition housing alternatives.”
“The Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing is encouraged by the Adams administration’s newest efforts to remove barriers to New Yorkers’ ability to utilize federal Section 8 and CityFHEPS housing vouchers in moving from homelessness to housing,” said Marc L. Greenberg, executive director, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing. “Addressing New York’s homelessness and affordable housing crisis requires action at many levels, and we are pleased to recognize the administration’s ambitious and visionary initiatives on many fronts — but of all of these, helping make vouchers work better is one of the most effective and immediate remedies that can move our homeless households into housing and at the same time relieve the pressure on our overburdened emergency shelter system. We look forward to a fruitful partnership between the mayor’s team and the community of advocates and service providers, as we continue to reduce the barriers that stand in the way of our homeless sisters and brothers becoming full participants in the greatness that is New York City.”
“This is very good news for New Yorkers applying for affordable housing,” said Irene Baldwin, executive director, Ariva. “Removing unnecessary barriers in the application review process will go a long way to ensuring that New York City’s subsidized apartments go to our neighbors who really need them.”
“This will absolutely facilitate the housing navigation work we do with HPD and NYCHA, placing households with vouchers,” said Paul Nagle, executive director, Stonewall Community Development Corporation. “The migrant crisis, the exploding senior population, and the general scarcity of affordable housing are creating daunting challenges to an already overburdened system. Flexibility and adaptation in city processes will be key to the city’s continued resilience in the face of an ever-growing housing crisis.”
