Hello neighbors and friends –

April is Fair Housing Month, a topic close to our hearts across PEU, so we’re diving deep into what it means for New York City. This month, we're also connecting New Yorkers to expanded Medicaid insurance, tenant and homeowner resources, and more. Read on below!

In a New York state of mind 🗽,
The Public Engagement Unit

Top 4️⃣ Resources We're Sharing this Month

Homeowner Resources

Navigating the complexities of homeownership in New York City can be a unique challenge, but there are resources available to help. We hosted a Day of Action this month to get the word out in St. Albans, Queens. Learn more about resources for homeowners here!

Expanded Medicaid

In our last newsletter, we shared that Medicaid is now available for many undocumented New Yorkers 65 and over, depending on income. In honor of National Public Health Week, our team will be spreading the word this Thursday with a Day of Action. Learn more about this medicaid expansion and help us get the word out here.

Tenant Resource Portal

Our Tenant Helpline is a centralized hub for tenants to get support they need on a variety of housing issues. Our Tenant Resource Portal is also a valuable resource for New Yorkers who are not ready to call us but are looking for support with a variety of eviction-related issues. This tool provides personalized information to help tenants learn about their rights and maintain stable housing.

Housing Resource Fair with CCHR

In honor of Fair Housing Month, the NYC Commission on Human Rights and NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development are hosting a housing resource fair April 11th at the Harold O. Levy School. RSVP by April 8. Learn more about the fair.

Program Spotlight:

Fair Housing with the Home Support Unit

2 PEU staffers pose on the sidewalk, one holds up a flyer about housing

Three people pose together in a well-lit apartment

Happy Fair Housing Month! Housing discrimination is illegal in New York City, meaning that prospective tenants and homebuyers cannot be denied housing because of their actual or perceived protected status under the law. There are many protected statuses, ranging from things like race and gender to source of income (whether someone’s income comes from work or from benefits such as Cash Assistance and housing vouchers).

New York City’s commitment to ensuring equal access to housing regardless of source of income is reflected in our work here at PEU. Our Home Support Unit (HSU) supports owners and real estate agents through the process of renting to New Yorkers with vouchers to ensure swift access to housing. We work closely with the NYC Commission on Human Rights to ensure that these housing laws are not only followed, but embraced by NYC.

Renting to subsidized tenants can add additional steps to the lease-up process, which is why HSU exists. HSU empowers owners and agents with information so they can stay on the right side of the law. Beyond ensuring safe, stable housing for a New Yorker in need, there are many benefits to renting to voucher-holders in New York – including support from HSU.

Vouchers offer government-backed rent and also may include a 15% broker fee and an additional month’s worth of rent. Our staff explains payment standards and laws, schedules viewings, connects providers to prospective tenants and liaises with housing specialists, provides technical assistance with paperwork and inspections, troubleshoots payment issues for owners that work with us, and more. We’re here to help make renting to voucher holders truly the good business decision we know it to be. Learn more and be in touch at nyc.gov/HSU.

If you have experienced discrimination in housing, contact the City’s Commission on Human Rights for support.

Last month we hosted a Day of Action to connect small homeowners to a host of resources. We hit the streets in St. Albans to connect New Yorkers to services like the Home Support Unit, as well a suite of other programs such as: Homeowner Tax Exemptions that help older homeowners and those with disabilities reduce their property tax burden, the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), which helps homeowners heat and cool their homes, HPD’s Housing Information Classes, and more. Learn more at nyc.gov/PEUHomeownerResources.

PEU - WHO ⭐ Staff Spotlight

Graphic with text that reads ''Staff Spotlight'' with an image of a PEU staffer in the center

Meet Katherine Bobadilla, a Rent Freeze Project Lead on PEU’s Tenant Support Unit. Learn more about the Tenant Support Unit here.

Can you share the journey you took to your current role?

I have been a part of PEU for about 7 years now and I love that I have been able to be a part of PEU’s growth. I’m extremely grateful that I’ve gotten to be a part of two different Tenant Support Teams at PEU because it has helped me gain knowledge and experience that I apply to my current role as Project Lead on the Rent Freeze Team.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

What truly excites me is the constant opportunity for learning and growth. My passion for helping others and providing valuable information has always been a driving force for me. Now, I'm in a position where I can share this knowledge with others, whether it's my colleagues or fellow New Yorkers. Recently, an older woman whose rent I helped freeze four years ago reached back out to me. She was looking for help understanding some new changes to her rent and remembered my name. I'm really proud of cases like hers: this story shows both how our work continues to make a difference in New Yorkers' lives and how we build trusting relationships with individuals that can last for years.

In the News 🗞️

About PEU

The NYC Public Engagement Unit (PEU) uses community organizing principles to re-envision how the city provides services to its most vulnerable communities. Rather than expecting constituents to navigate a complex city bureaucracy to get the help they need, PEU adopts grassroots tactics to meet residents where they are — at their doors and on their phones, in their social media feeds, and in their communities. PEU combines this proactive outreach with comprehensive case management, and in doing so, builds long-term relationships between New Yorkers and their government.

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