Adams' Administration Delays CityFHEPS Expansion Again, Asks Court for Appeal

"After an appeals court ruled the mayor must implement a package of bills expanding eligibility for CityFHEPS housing vouchers, the Adams administration asked the court for permission to appeal the decision. Homeless New Yorkers who might be newly eligible for City Family Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) vouchers will have to wait a little longer to see if they'll be able to secure a subsidy."

"The Legal Aid Society and the City Council, who sued to get Adams to implement the laws, condemned the move and filed in opposition to the administration's motion. "By requesting permission from the court to appeal this decision, Mayor Adams is once again prioritizing bureaucratic delay over the urgent needs of families facing eviction and homelessness," said Robert Desir, staff attorney in the Civil Law Reform Unit at The Legal Aid Society, in a statement."

An appeals court ruled the mayor must implement bills expanding eligibility for CityFHEPS housing vouchers, and the Adams administration sought permission to appeal that ruling. Homeless New Yorkers who could become newly eligible for CityFHEPS vouchers will face a further delay in accessing subsidies. The Aug. 11 appeal request arrived nearly two years after the administration was due to implement the laws. The bills would extend vouchers to people living outside shelters and raise the program's income eligibility threshold. City Hall said it is awaiting the court's decision before taking action. Legal Aid and the City Council opposed the appeal and filed opposition. The administration argued voucher policy falls under state Department of Social Services authority and that expansion could strain CityFHEPS funding and increase apartment competition.

Read at City Limits