(a) CityFHEPS rental assistance cannot be combined with any other rent subsidies except with the prior approval of the Commissioner where combining the subsidies is practicable and not contrary to law, except that CityFHEPS rental assistance may be used with a PA shelter allowance provided pursuant to Section 352.3 of Title 18 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations and can be applied towards a rent that has been frozen pursuant to the SCRIE or DRIE Program where the household is otherwise eligible for the CityFHEPS Program.
(b) Applicants and shelter residents are responsible for identifying potential housing. However, shelter staff will provide assistance to HRA and DHS shelter residents in their housing search. Additionally, shelter residents and others who have been found to be potentially eligible for CityFHEPS rental assistance will be provided with a CityFHEPS shopping letter.
(c) HRA shall not maintain a waitlist for the CityFHEPS Program.
(d) The number of eligible households that can be approved for CityFHEPS rental assistance will be limited by the amount of available funding.
(e) A LINC VI program participant holding a lease for a unit that is subject to government regulations with respect to allowable rents as of the effective date of this rule will be permitted to accept a renewal of their lease at the rate authorized by any government entity authorized by local, state or federal law to set rents without prejudice to their eligibility for CityFHEPS.
(f) Households in the CityFHEPS Program will be referred to service providers who will help connect them to appropriate services in their communities.
(g) If HRA offers incentives to landlords to participate in the CityFHEPS Program, such incentives shall not be available for the rental of a unit where the previous tenant was receiving CityFHEPS unless the landlord can show good cause for not renewing such tenant, such as serious or repeated violations of the lease. Good cause will generally not be found unless the landlord has provided the tenant with 30 days written notice of the intent to not renew, including the reasons for non-renewal.
(h) Notwithstanding any provisions in this chapter to the contrary, HRA in its discretion may offer payments to landlords of units that are subject to the HPD/HDC Marketing Handbook pursuant to a regulatory agreement or similar instrument, for which HPD or HDC is requiring or approving such units to be filled by homeless individuals or families instead of or subsequent to a lottery, where such payments are needed to make up the difference between the CityFHEPS maximum rent under 68 RCNY § 10-05 and the regulatory rent. In such instances, the rent for the unit may exceed the maximum rent levels set forth in 68 RCNY § 10-05, including at the time of initial approval of the CityFHEPS application, but may not exceed the regulatory rent.
(i) A landlord may not be the spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, step-parent, step-child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling or step-sibling of any member of the household. This requirement may be waived for good cause.
(Added City Record 9/28/2018, eff. 10/28/2018; amended City Record 2/7/2020, eff. 2/7/2020; amended City Record 4/29/2020, eff. 5/29/2020; amended City Record 10/28/2021, eff. 11/28/2021)