With an average monthly rent of about $506, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) provides the most affordable housing for low-income individuals and families in NYC. There are 176,066 public housing units in 2,462 buildings in 326 developments throughout the 5 boroughs. We follow the application process and explore what makes an applicant eligible. To better illustrate what the average applicant goes through, we created the following two characters:

– This is Maria and her son Chris –

• • Maria is a single mom, aged 35 (undocumented)
  • Chris is her 8 year old son (US citizen)
  • They are victims of domestic abuse
  • They lived in a studio apartment in Mott Haven in the Bronx
  • Maria works as a cleaner with annual income of $30,000
  • Maria recently separated from abusive husband, and needs a new apartment
  • Chris heard about NYCHA from some kids at school

SO HOW SHOULD THEY GO ABOUT APPLYING?

– Step 1: Are they eligible? –

To be eligible, there is a set of criteria that must apply to Maria and Chris.

– Step 2: How should they apply? –

First, Maria and Chris must fill out an online application, which they can do on any device. They can also go to a NYCHA walk-in center to use the computers there. Also, since Maria and Chris are victims of domestic abuse, they should call a NYCHA Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 to request a Domestic Violence Document Review Form, which will give them priority over other applicants.

After two weeks, they will receive a letter from NYCHA acknowledging that their application has been received, as well as what their housing priority is. There are several different types of priority codes given to applicants other than victims of domestic abuse, including intimidated witnesses, homeless families with children, and those with HIV who are also homeless.

If Maria and Chris’s application is accepted, they will have to go for an eligibility interview, where the following items are verified:

• Family size
• Family composition
• Housing priority
• Total family income
• Social Security numbers
• Citizenship/immigration status

If they don’t hear anything back from NYCHA, they will be on the waitlist and have to reapply every two years. As of March 6, 2017, there are 257,143 families on the waiting list for public housing, with a 2.6% turnover rate.

For more information, check out NYCHA’s What to Expect page, or NYCHA’s Applicant FAQ.

APPLYING IN THE REAL WORLD

As part of our research, our class went to 8 different NYCHA developments and interviewed 13 residents. During the interviews, most residents emphasized the length of time it took for their applications to get accepted: the times ranged from 3 months to 5 years, with 2 to 3 years being the average. Two residents went into a little more detail:

←This is Nija, prospective applicant into public housing.

She had an interview with NYCHA coming up, and had prepared documents such as her credentials, birth certificate, identification card and pay stubs. She had actually grown up in a NYCHA development in Brooklyn, but had moved to Long Island when she was a teenager because of school and her mother’s job. She wasn’t really confident about the application process, however, saying, “I  do  not  know  what  is  going on in general, but just giving it my luck.”

This is Kevin, resident of Ingersoll Houses in Fort Greene.→

48-year-old Kevin submitted a NYCHA application after finding out about the program from newspapers and friends. He went to a NYCHA office to fill out an application and provided documents such as tax returns and verification of citizenship status. After not getting selected for three years, he filled out another application. He was finally selected after waiting two more years. Kevin interviewed with a NYCHA representative and selected a vacant apartment within his borough of choice: Brooklyn. He moved in after NYCHA staff repainted the apartment and installed a new stove. Each year, Kevin needs to fill out a form to update information regarding his income and family members.

– Step 3: Apartment is offered –

Once an apartment becomes available, Maria will go through a criminal background check as she is older than 16. Once passed, the apartment is offered. She will actually get 2 choices in apartments, because as a victim of domestic abuse, she is an emergency priority applicant. Another type of applicant that is offered 2 apartment choices is disabled applicants. Some types of applicants are even able to choose which borough they will live in, while others can only indicate top choice.

The following applicants can choose which borough they want to live in:

• Homeless (or at risk of homelessness)
• Victims of domestic violence
• Intimidated witnesses
• Families requiring 5+ bedrooms

WHAT ABOUT MARIA’S CITIZENSHIP STATUS?

Not to worry. In the real world, we met an applicant who was undocumented, and her son was the one on the lease.

Additionally, since Chris is a citizen, they are still eligible to apply.

– Maria needs to keep in mind that NYCHA is a springboard –

NYCHA was never intended to be permanent housing; it was meant to provide affordable housing for those who needed it, so that people wouldn’t have to worry so much about making next month’s rent. They would be able to spend more time on improving their situation, such as by getting a better job. For this reason, NYCHA has several resources geared towards helping its residents improve their quality of life and hopefully be able to move out in the future. An example of this is NYCHA’s Office of Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability (REES), which “helps residents increase their income and assets through programs, policies, and partnerships involving employment and advancement, financial literacy and asset building, adult education and training, and resident business development.” Additionally, “NYCHA collaborates with public and private partners to offer additional innovative job training, educational and enrichment opportunities, health-related programs, violence prevention initiatives, and more. Residents have access to a network of over 400 community centers, senior centers, health care centers, and day care and Head Start educational centers” (NYCHA Factsheet).

Given all of these opportunities, NYCHA would hopefully provide several incentives for Maria to keep working, pursue her ambitions and not settle in public housing just because it’s affordable. There are are also a few disadvantages to living in a NYCHA development. Many public housing residents have expressed concerns about the ineffective management and security, hence for the safety of her son, Maria may be especially motivated to move both herself and her son to a better environment.

For more information about NYCHA as a springboard, visit the Political and Social Context page.

– Maria must not become complacent –

Unfortunately, most of the residents that we spoke to expressed that they hoped to move out of NYCHA, but did not think of NYCHA as a springboard. There are several reasons for this. First, the average resident family income is $24,336. In New York City, there are very few housing options for those with such low wages, and it’s not certain that one could get a job with higher pay. As such, it would be easier to remain in public housing. Second, rent will never increase to more than 30% of a resident’s total income — further incentive to remain with NYCHA. In fact, only 47.1% of NYCHA families are working, leaving the other half of the residents with rents that are entirely subsidized. There are also several amenities available to NYCHA’s residents (day care centers, community centers, senior centers, etc.) which would either cost more elsewhere or simply not be available. Maria may worry that if she gets a job with higher pay, she will have to pay more money in rent. If she moves out of public housing, her rent would be subject to change according to the whims of her new landlord. In addition, like 52.9% of NYCHA families, she may also receive some form of government aid, which will decrease with her increasing income. If she is doing fairly well in her current socioeconomic status, she might be reluctant to change and embrace the risks of a more uncertain future.

– What can Maria do if she has problems with her new apartment? –

IN THE REAL WORLD, RESIDENTS HAD MANY COMPLAINTS.

Out of 13 residents, 10 complained about maintenance and sanitation, which included the fact that elevators constantly had issues, there was a lot of trash, pests, and often the stench of urine in staircases, elevators and walkways. 6 residents complained about security — that there were a lot of drug dealers, robberies, and shootouts or people with guns. 5 residents complained about the management of their development, saying that it was difficult to get in touch with them and that they often took some time to act. However, one of our interviewees mentioned that NYCHA  staff  would  come  in few  times  a  year  to  check  the  condition  of  the building but it was very uncommon for residents to reach out first. This could be because they are undocumented, or have other issues that they would rather not have exposed, that they are afraid might lead to eviction. Fortunately, the good news is that tenants have several rights when faced with a termination of residency by NYCHA. For example, NYCHA still needs to go to court in order to complete eviction process, and that is only after send a letter about the impending termination. For more information about tenant rights in eviction situations, check out this NYCHA_Evictions_Factsheet.

Here is what some residents had to say: Anna, resident at Nostrand Houses and one of our interviewees, said “There are always cop cars coming down the walkways doing their patrols, but the second they leave for the night it gets rowdy out there. I try not to be out too late because there’s always the chance some kid is being cool and testing out his new gun – I’m not getting in his way… The managers even have a side door going straight to the street to avoid any contact with us.” Another interviewee suggested that a public bathroom to be installed in the lobby or in the courtyard of buildings.

These issues don’t just affect the residents of NYCHA developments. Cecilia, who works at NYU Langone Medical Center across the street from Straus, mentioned that she usually crosses the street instead of walking by the development’s buildings because she was concerned with her safety. Even the staff expressed concerns about the state of the buildings: Two anonymous NYCHA employees suggested that more money needed to be allocated to the interior of the buildings rather than the exterior.

– Answer: Maria can find a Tenant Association –

Tenant/Resident Associations are democratic councils and organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life for NYCHA residents. A resident can visit any development’s Management Office to join or create an organization.  Below is a chart that showcases the overarching political structure of Tenant Associations.

In brief, each tenant association council elects a president. The presidents elect a chair of their district. There are nine districts, so 9 members generally make up the citywide council of presidents. The CCOP members are elected to a three year term, and make up the membership of the Resident Advisory Board, along with selected residents of Section 8 housing. At the top of the chain is the Resident Advisory Board, which is the most important tenant association body. They review NYCHA’s annual and 5 year plan, and provide feedback that represents the will of the residents. Check out this link to learn more about how RAB’s are structured nationally.

Here are examples of the different organizations Maria or her son Chris can join:

Youth Leadership Council: Otherwise known as the YLC, this new program empowers teens to have a voice regarding the future of public housing. There are 15 across the city, each made up of 15-25 youths ages 14-21. These groups of youths are trained to work with NYCHA leadership to help make policy decisions that reflect their generation’s concerns. Each group works on a specific agenda for the duration of the school year, meeting  1-2 times a month for group work. One may apply by paper or online through filling out a google form application. The deadline for applying is in early November. Finally, At the conclusion of the academic year, members are eligible to receive 100 hours of service for High School Diploma Seal and Mayoral Recognition Certificate.

Another successful organization that Maria may want to consider joining is the Resident Watch Program. Formerly known as tenant patrol, this group of aware tenants engage in self-policing of their housing complex. This entails patrolling their developments to discourage violence or other illicit activities. Resident watchers also work together with housing managers to ensure safety of all tenants.
For more information about the fine details of tenant involvement in resident associations, please check out the Tenant Participation Activity summary.

– Still, there are several problems facing tenant associations today. –

First of all, not every housing development has any TA’s. This invariably leads to the those residents voices being drowned out, since they do not participate in the formal resident association process. Indeed, according to a report by CityLimits.com only a third of NYCHA developments have any type of TA at all. The report continues with complaint by resident leaders about not having any training or orientation on how to use resources that have been earmarked for tenants by the federal government. For example, one of the funds available for tenant association purposes is the Tenant Participation Fund (TPA). HUD provides this organization with $3 million each year, but this money isn’t usually spent–“a whopping $13 million has accrued over the years”. Certainly, a campaign aimed at spreading awareness about the usefulness and power of tenant associations would help bridge this knowledge gap.

– What can be done to improve things for NYCHA’s residents? –

NYCHA is a socioeconomic springboard that provides affordable housing to people in need. We feel that a huge part of making NYCHA developments the best that they can be is to really consider what the people who are directly involved have to say, namely, its residents. The following issues are what they were most concerned about:

1. Expand work incentives and discourage work disincentives
2. Better trained Tenant Association presidents
3. Close the communication gap between residents and staff
4. More surveillance