October 6, 2023

Over 4,000 Families Will Enter Affordable Homes More Quickly Every Year 

October 6, 2023 – New York City Mayor Adams and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, charged with fighting a decades-long housing crisis while keeping New Yorkers safe, announced yesterday that unnecessary credit checks will be eliminated for voucher holders entering city-subsidized affordable housing.    

Key Highlights:

• This change removes a financial barrier, ensuring that individuals with lower credit scores or those experiencing financial hardships are not unfairly excluded from critical affordable housing opportunities.
• Additionally, this change will speed up the process, lifting administrative burdens and enabling 4,000 household yearly to access housing faster.
• New Yorkers who will benefit include Section 8 or CityFHEPS, or homes directly set aside for those who formerly experienced homelessness.

Read the full press release detailing the announcement here.

The elimination of credit checks is supported by a notably diverse coalition. From homelessness and affordable housing advocates to real estate developers and property managers, New Yorkers are standing hand in hand with the City. 

Here’s what working New Yorkers across boroughs and industries are saying: 

Affordable Housing + Homelessness Advocates, Community Organizers + Leaders 

“We applaud Mayor Adams for making a change that will support at-risk households and improve government processes at the same time. By no longer requiring credit checks for households with vouchers, the city can process vouchers faster and will not exclude households with lower credit scores – households that might benefit the most from affordable housing – from getting housing assistance. In his Housing Blueprint Mayor Adams committed to reducing administrative burdens for people seeking housing and we appreciate the mayor for working to deliver on that promise and we look forward to more improvements in the future.” – Rachel Fee, Executive Director, New York Housing Conference.

“By no longer requiring credit checks for families with housing vouchers, the Adams Administration is breaking down an unnecessary roadblock to permanent housing and taking a crucial step towards making New York's affordable housing more equitable,” said Christine C. Quinn, President & CEO of Win, the largest provider of shelter and supportive services for homeless families with children in New York City and the nation. “These bureaucratic barriers served no real purpose — instead, they merely complicated the process of finding an affordable home, exacerbated families' uncertainty, and increased the average length of shelter stay. On behalf of Win's families and all New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, I want to thank Mayor Adams for embracing this common sense reform.”

“We need to use all the tools available to ensure older residents have access to stable housing,” said AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel. “Many older New Yorkers live on fixed incomes and struggle with housing security, and the City’s population continues to age - with a growing number of older adults experiencing poverty. By eliminating credit checks for households with housing vouchers, Mayor Adams’ laudable initiative will simplify and accelerate the process of finding affordable homes and ensure older adults have a safe and comfortable home in their communities.”

“The Housing Partnership appreciates the Adams administration’s continued and demonstrated commitment to streamline the activities that put needy families and individuals in housing quicker, especially during a time of legislative inaction on housing production with an historic housing crisis in every borough of the city,” said Jamie Smarr, president and CEO, Housing Partnership.

“Removing the barrier of credit checks when being approved for affordable housing is an important step in the right direction to decreasing housing instability, homelessness, and human suffering,” said Aaron Carr, founder and executive director, Housing Rights Initiative. “When families have greater access to affordable housing, everyone benefits: families, our communities, and our city.”

“New Yorkers seeking housing assistance too often face administrative burdens and financial barriers,” said Howard Slatkin, executive director, Citizens Housing and Planning Council. “We commend the city for its efforts to streamline this process and provide smoother access to housing for voucher holders. Each day we can cut off the wait time to get low-income New Yorkers into quality, affordable homes makes a profound difference in their lives.”

“The Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing is encouraged by the Adams administration’s newest efforts to remove barriers to New Yorkers’ ability to utilize federal Section 8 and CityFHEPS housing vouchers in moving from homelessness to housing,” said Marc L. Greenberg, executive director, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing. “Addressing New York’s homelessness and affordable housing crisis requires action at many levels, and we are pleased to recognize the administration’s ambitious and visionary initiatives on many fronts — but of all of these, helping make vouchers work better is one of the most effective and immediate remedies that can move our homeless households into housing and at the same time relieve the pressure on our overburdened emergency shelter system. We look forward to a fruitful partnership between the mayor’s team and the community of advocates and service providers, as we continue to reduce the barriers that stand in the way of our homeless sisters and brothers becoming full participants in the greatness that is New York City.”

“As we know, vulnerable Latinos and many other New Yorkers already face significant barriers to securing affordable and stable housing. Eliminating credit checks is a crucial step forward in removing some of those barriers and ensuring more Latinos and city residents can find an affordable, safe place to call home. Hispanic Federation applauds the Adams administration for coming together to remove a huge obstacle to New Yorkers’ ability to access more affordable housing,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation.

Labor Leaders

“For too long, credit checks have served as a classist and often racist barrier to housing in New York,” said Candis Tall, executive vice president and political director, 32BJ SEIU. “By removing this unnecessary roadblock, Mayor Adams and his administration will streamline city bureaucracy, ensuring that the New Yorkers who need affordable housing the most gain access faster. 32BJ SEIU thanks City Hall for its leadership on the affordability crisis facing our city.”

“New York City workers are struggling to make ends meet. With stagnant wages failing to meet rising inflation, more people than ever before are needing to rely on affordable housing options offered by the city,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. “Removing this time-consuming and invasive barrier to access apartments working families need to survive here will significantly accelerate the process. Thank you to Mayor Adams and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development for moving this initiative, which will help so many hard-working people across the city.”

Tenants 

“This opens up a whole new possibility for a better tomorrow for unhoused individuals and families who have been locked out of housing for so long based on their credit. No longer will they be tied down by past decisions now they have the freedom to move forward,” said Fannie Lou Diane, founder, The Eviction Fund of New York City. “The elimination of credit-based barriers to housing opens up new possibilities and opportunities for unhoused individuals and families. By removing credit as a determining factor for housing eligibility, society can address the systemic barriers that have perpetuated homelessness and limited access to affordable housing. Without being tied down by past credit history, unhoused individuals can have a fresh start and a fair chance at finding stable housing. This can significantly improve their quality of life and overall well-being. It allows them to break free from the cycle of homelessness and pursue a better future for themselves and their families. By eliminating credit as a barrier to housing, the city can foster a more inclusive and equitable system that empowers unhoused individuals and families to rebuild their lives and work towards a brighter future.”

“I am so happy to know that they are getting rid of this credit check for people who have vouchers. This is about to change everyone who is a voucher holder from now being able to finally get into an apartment without worried about their bad credit or lack of credit,” said Aishah Kelly, Harlem Resident. “Every time my credit was checked, I was always denied for an apartment, no one cared about my past situation or why my credit was even bad, I was just immediately denied. So, I am so happy to hear that things are going to change, to help people finally be able to obtain an apartment with their voucher, and not allow their credit to ruin their chances to getting into an apartment.”

“Today’s announcement is one of the biggest game changers in addressing our lack of affordable housing crisis,” said Shams DaBaron aka “Da Homeless Hero.” “For far too long, a credit history has prevented many homeless and low-income New Yorkers from being able to access affordable housing options that should be available to them. As a person with no real credit history, I have always been eliminated from these opportunities. Not no more, thanks to Mayor Adams thinking outside of the box and eliminating another one of those barriers that have kept people like me warehoused in shelters without a pathway out. Today, this announcement gives us a better chance to get the housing we deserve. It is clear evidence of the city’s commitment to address and eliminate the administrative burdens that previous administrations allowed to exist at the expense of New Yorkers in need of real, deeply affordable housing options.”

Developers, Property Managers + Nonprofit Real Estate

“This will absolutely facilitate the housing navigation work we do with HPD and NYCHA, placing households with vouchers,” said Paul Nagle, executive director, Stonewall Community Development Corporation. “The migrant crisis, the exploding senior population, and the general scarcity of affordable housing are creating daunting challenges to an already overburdened system. Flexibility and adaptation in city processes will be key to the city’s continued resilience in the face of an ever-growing housing crisis.”

“Urban Upbound applauds the Adams administration’s decision to eliminate credit check requirements for households using housing vouchers, including Section 8 and CityFHEPS,” said Bishop Mitchell Taylor, CEO and co-founder, Urban Upbound. “This move correctly identifies safe and affordable housing as a strong determinant of an individual or family’s ability to achieve financial stability and personal well-being.”

“Phipps Houses applauds these and all efforts by HPD to streamline the application process for affordable housing,” said Cathy Pennington, general manager and senior vice president, Phipps Houses. “We discontinued the practice of running credit reports for all applicants in 2021 because landlords who rent to families with rental subsidies can be confident that on-time, monthly payments will be made. We look forward to continued collaboration with HPD to further streamline the application and referral process to get families into their new homes more quickly.”

“As one of the largest providers of housing, health care, and employment programs for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, we know we must do everything we can to expand access to affordable housing so individuals and families can attain long-term stability,” said Eric Rosenbaum, president and CEO, Project Renewal. “We applaud the city’s decision to no longer require credit checks for households with vouchers, which will remove a significant barrier for New Yorkers exiting shelter and free the way for those most in need to attain permanent housing.”

“We applaud the city’s decision to eliminate the credit check requirement for households using vouchers for their housing, a key step toward ensuring domestic violence survivors can quickly find safe and stable homes,” said Nicole Branca, executive director, New Destiny Housing. “Financial abuse, one of the most widespread forms of domestic violence, often leaves survivors with poor credit, which makes it extremely difficult to escape, find stable housing, and rebuild their lives. This change removes a major barrier to accessing deeply affordable housing across the city and will be instrumental in ending the cycle of family homelessness and easing the burden on our shelter system.”

“NYSAFAH is extremely supportive of New York City’s decision to remove credit checks for voucher recipients in affordable housing. This will eliminate a pointless administrative process and save time and money for both government and housing providers,” said Jolie Milstein, president and CEO, New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH). “This move is exactly the kind of action that New York City needs to speed up the process of getting New Yorkers into high-quality affordable housing.”

“Over the course of the last year, HPD has been focused on ways to get poor and vulnerable households into high-quality, affordable homes faster,” said Kirk Goodrich, president, Monadnock Development. “This initiative brings us one step closer to the ultimate goal of getting every vacant unit filled within 30 days, so we can reduce our reliance on emergency and transition housing alternatives.”

“This is a very welcome revision in HPD’s policy,” said Donald Capoccia, founding member and principal, BFC Partners. “Eliminating this hurdle will enable thousands of income-qualified New Yorkers and their families to move into new units much more quickly than in the past. Those of us involved in affordable housing production, especially our marketing agents, applaud HPD’s willingness to explore and implement changes in efficiency that clearly benefit our future residents.”

“This is very good news for New Yorkers applying for affordable housing,” said Irene Baldwin, executive director, Ariva. “Removing unnecessary barriers in the application review process will go a long way to ensuring that New York City’s subsidized apartments go to our neighbors who really need them.”

Elected Officials

“Since I became mayor, our administration has been relentless in taking on the city’s affordable housing crisis from every angle, and we are taking another critical step forward today,” said Mayor Adams. “Every New Yorker knows we don’t have enough affordable homes, but once you find one, the city should do everything in its power to give you the keys as quickly as possible. Once again, we are taking bold action to make that a reality by no longer requiring New Yorkers to undergo a credit check when selected for affordable housing. This one change will help more than 4,000 New York families move more quickly into a home and take the next step towards building a more supported life.” 

“In the midst of a housing and affordability crisis, we must use every tool at our disposal to ease the burden on working families so they can live and thrive in New York City,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “Removing credit checks from the housing voucher process will speed up the time it takes for families to move into new homes, providing stability and security to thousands of households each year. This action will improve tenants’ access to affordable housing in a timely manner, including for those experiencing homelessness, who so often have greater barriers to entry in the housing market.”

“If an individual or a family holds a housing voucher, they should be able to secure their new home with as smooth a process as possible,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Today’s announcement cuts additional red tape by eliminating credit checks for voucher holders and enables them to transition more quickly into stable housing.  It is yet another step the Adams administration is taking to realize our goal of making a permanent home a reality for every New Yorker.”

“Credit checks create a massive and unnecessary obstacle, disproportionately harming low-income New Yorkers. For people with bad or no credit, the elimination of credit checks could mean the difference between having a home and being homeless,” said HPD Commissioner Carrión. “Eliminating credit checks for voucher holders is an important step towards providing fair and efficient housing to New York City’s most vulnerable residents.”

“With today’s announcement, thousands of New Yorkers will no longer need to fear a credit check impacting their chances to access safe and affordable homes,” said HDC President Enderlin. “I commend our partners for their ongoing efforts to reduce unnecessary burdens and unlock more housing opportunities for those in greatest need.”

“By removing unnecessary barriers to permanent affordable housing and expanding access to city-funded rental assistance, the Adams administration continues to take the necessary steps to move more of our most vulnerable neighbors into the homes they deserve,” said New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. “Credit checks were an onerous and needless requirement for New Yorkers with rental assistance vouchers that guarantee the household’s ability to pay rent. Eliminating them will significantly expedite the process of obtaining affordable housing for thousands New Yorkers experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity each year and allow those most in need to attain housing they have far too long been excluded from.”

“This move to reduce the unnecessary barrier of credit checks for voucher-holding New York City residents applying for affordable housing is an excellent use of common sense and collaboration by Mayor Adams, HPD Commissioner Carrión, and HDC President Enderlin,” said New York State Senator Leroy Comrie. “Greater efficiency in the affordable housing application process is going to mean less time that these thousands of families have to spend dealing with the stress and uncertainty of housing insecurity.”

“New Yorkers have long faced the hurdle of needing to satisfy credit reporting requirements in order to qualify for the very subsidies intended to ease significant financial burdens,” said New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud. “I thank Mayor Adams and Commissioner Carrión for removing this significant barrier for applicants.”

“I applaud Mayor Adams for tackling the housing crisis through this common-sense initiative to fast-track New Yorkers into stable, high-quality, affordable housing,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “Removing credit checks for CityFHEPS housing vouchers will make the voucher more flexible and easier to use, ensuring that 4,000 families will enter affordable homes more quickly every year. At the same time, it will save the city at least $1,500 per week for each family that no longer needs to stay in the shelter system. Today’s initiative is one more effective tool to shorten the pathway for individuals experiencing homelessness to stable, permanent, affordable housing.”

“In a significant and compassionate initiative, Mayor Adams and HPD Commissioner Carrión have taken decisive steps to eliminate unnecessary credit checks for voucher holders seeking affordable housing,” said New York State Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia. “This transformative action swiftly opens the door for over 4,000 families to access affordable homes each year. In neighborhoods within the vibrant tapestry of the 86th Assembly District, like University Heights, Morris Heights, Mount Eden, Kingsbridge, Tremont, and Fordham in the Bronx, this measure directly benefits the constituents I represent, ensuring they find stable, affordable housing without unnecessary hurdles.”

“One of the most difficult aspects of navigating affordable housing programs in New York is the long wait times and red tape that are a part of the process,” said New York State Assemblymember Tony Simone. “The decision today to remove the superfluous credit check requirement will make applying for housing easier, shorten wait times, and ensure that people get the access to housing they desperately need. I am glad that Mayor Adams is taking action to simplify the process and improve accessibility to housing for those who need it.”

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The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and diverse, thriving neighborhoods for New Yorkers through loan and development programs for new affordable housing, preservation of the affordability of the existing housing stock, enforcement of housing quality standards, and educational programs for tenants and building owners. For full details visit www.nyc.gov/hpd and for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @NYCHousing.