Housing nonprofits, advocates and landlords partner on eviction prevention

Advocates who may otherwise find themselves at odds with New York’s real estate industry have forged an alliance to seek more government assistance for renters, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

The affordable housing nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners has entered into a partnership – dubbed “Project Parachute” – with institutions such as the Real Estate Board of New York, The Legal Aid Society, BronxWorks and Win to stave off evictions in New York City. 

In a report released on Wednesday, some members of the coalition laid out policy recommendations to keep tenants housed and allow building owners to remain viable. 

One of their priorities: increasing access to New York City’s Family Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement – a form of rental assistance for families that have been evicted or are at risk of being evicted – by eliminating a requirement that renters need to face an eviction proceeding to qualify. The report also calls for the available financial support from the supplement and from CityFHEPS, another rental assistance supplement, to be increased. 

“It's past time for the Council to raise the value of the CityFHEPS voucher to help families in need find long-term independence and alleviate pressure on our overburdened shelter system,” Christine Quinn, president and CEO of Win, said in a statement.