City Promotes Benefits of Renting to Voucher Holders as Part of 'Do Something Good for Your Neighbor Day'
May 16, 2022
City agency mobile units at Roberto Clemente Plaza are raising awareness about resources and benefits to rental owners and brokers who house voucher holders, helping move New Yorkers from homelessness to permanent, stable housing.
New York, NY – On May 16th, “Do Something Good for Your Neighbor Day”, the NYC Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU), NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), and NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) are hosting an event at Roberto Clemente Plaza in the Bronx from 11AM - 3PM.
The event highlights the role every New Yorker can play to address the housing crisis, by encouraging New York City landlords to rent to voucher holders. Participants will send an email to their landlord to encourage them to rent to voucher holders. This outreach is part of the Public Engagement Unit’s “I Vouch for Vouchers” campaign, which elevates the voices of owners and brokers who work with voucher holders. The campaign includes marketing graphics and videos with first-hand experiences of brokers and owners, as well as an innovative public-private partnership with StreetEasy that included educational resources and a fireside chat for property owners and brokers. This new phase of the campaign will spotlight tenants who are organizing to help make a voucher recipient their neighbor.
Renting to a voucher holder is not only about moving New Yorkers out of shelters, it also makes business sense for landlords and brokers. Vouchers cover costs including a 15% broker fee for each unit, security covering 1 month's rent, and free, individualized assistance from PEU Specialists throughout the entire lease-up and rental process. These Specialists are on-site Monday to answer questions about working with voucher holders, and HPD Specialists are available to assist with applying for financial assistance, registering buildings, remedying violations, and more.
The SBS and HPD mobile units are on site providing an array of services, including small business support. The SBS Mobile Unit also has on-site career opportunities for all New Yorkers with local employers like Citi Bike, First Quality Maintenance, Allied Universal, Time Warner Entertainment, and Levy Restaurants. Mobile unit visitors are able to get help with their resumes, interview skills, and career advice.
“Landlords and brokers can play a huge part in moving New Yorkers from homelessness into stable housing,” said Adrienne Lever, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU). “Innovative events and inter-agency partnerships like these are a complement to the calls, texts, and on-ground outreach our team does every day to connect with landlords and brokers and support them in the process of renting to voucher holders.”
“SBS is proud to do our part to help New Yorkers find and maintain employment, which is critical to supporting New Yorkers into permanent housing,” said NYC Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin D. Kim. “Our mobile unit will be on-site ready to educate landlords and rental owners about free available business resources including financial assistance, business education courses, pro-bono legal services, recruitment, and M/WBE certification. Being deep in communities that require access to our career and business services is part of our concerted effort to ensure New York City’s economic recovery is equitable throughout the five boroughs.”
“Not only is renting to voucher holders the right thing for landlords and brokers to do for their neighbors, but with the City’s incentives and supportive structures in place to help voucher holders throughout the rental process, it also makes good business sense,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “This is an all-around win for landlords, voucher holders, and our city. You can do good and do well.”
About the SBS Mobile Unit
The new SBS Mobile Unit delivers on a key plank of Mayor Adams’ “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery” plan, which offers a roadmap to building an economic recovery for all New Yorkers. By bringing critical city services to New Yorkers who otherwise would not be able to access them, the administration aims to promote equitable and inclusive growth throughout the five boroughs.
For more information on where the SBS Mobile Unit will be providing services, New Yorkers can follow @NYC_SBS on Twitter.
About the HPD Mobile Unit
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.
The HPD Mobile Unit can help New Yorkers:
- Prepare to apply for affordable housing
- Understand your rights and responsibilities
- File a housing complaint
- Finance improvements and repairs
- Register yourbBuilding
- Remedy a violation
About PEU’s Home Support Unit
The NYC Mayor’s Public Engagement Home Support Unit (HSU) works with rental owners, real estate agents, and property managers to lease vacant apartments to qualified New Yorkers receiving rental assistance.
HSU Specialists help participating owners and agents navigate the rental process by arranging viewings, assisting with leasing paperwork, and ensuring access to financial incentives for placements of qualifying tenants into stable housing. HSU can also quickly respond to and resolve payment questions as well as other issues that arise during tenancy. Learn more at nyc.gov/HSU.
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The Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU) is pioneering a new model of government that proactively educates New Yorkers about and connects them to key City services. PEU Outreach Specialists provide individualized, in-person, and long-term case management across a broad range of policy issues. In the process, PEU helps New Yorkers build stronger relationships with their government. PEU’s core programs include the Tenant Support Unit, the Rent Freeze Unit, Universal Access to Counsel, the Home Support Unit, GetCoveredNYC, and DemocracyNYC. To contact any of these programs for assistance or to learn more about PEU, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/MayorsPEU.
The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building vibrant neighborhoods across the five boroughs. For more information on all SBS services, go to nyc.gov/sbs, call 311, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and diverse, thriving neighborhoods for New Yorkers through loan and development programs for new affordable housing, preservation of the affordability of the existing housing stock, enforcement of housing quality standards, and educational programs for tenants and building owners. For full details visit www.nyc.gov/hpd and for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @NYCHousing.