As of this past spring, nearly 108,464 people had slept in New York City shelters – yet experts have warned that actual numbers may be much higher. Last week, a state appeals court secured an expansion of CityFHEPS vouchers, prompting advocates at Anthos|Home to continue using this complicated resource to place people into permanent homes.
While housing vouchers and rental subsidies have existed in some form since the 1970s, according to Anthos|Home, an estimated 40% of vouchers continue to go unused, with an additional 50% of potential users being unable to use them – due to system mistrust and lack of eligible units. While New York City housing laws require landlords to honor vouchers, many tenants still face housing discrimination, compounded with difficulty navigating the system.
Anthos|Home hopes to fill this gap by matching voucher holders with eligible properties, while smoothing over technical creases along the way. Having identified over 450 eligible units throughout all five boroughs, the nonprofit currently has over 150 vacant units in its portfolio, adding anywhere from 30 to 40 new units per month…