Democratic Councilman Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11) introduced a new bill on Wednesday, Nov. 12, during the New York City Council stated meeting, designed to “vastly improve” the application process for so-called “affordable” housing units made available via the housing lottery system managed by NYC Department of Housing, Preservation & Development (HPD) through its online “Housing Connect” portal.

 

The topic of whether HPD’s advertised housing units are truly affordable or not has long been debated and is not the subject of the new bills.  As reported, several new housing developments, described as “affordable” by NYC Department of Housing, Preservation & Development (HPD), have opened in The Bronx in recent years.

 

Yet, with advertised rents of, for example, $3,234 for a one-bedroom unit, or $3,069 for a studio, compared to average Bronx incomes of, for example, $25,000/annum in City Council District 14, represented by City Council Member Pierina Sanchez, in reality, such new housing is anything but affordable, despite the increase in supply.

 

The councilman said while New York City tries to increase the supply of affordable housing units every year, “trusted,” community-based organizations (CBOs) are simultaneously tasked with ensuring those most in need of housing get it. “Every person living in our city deserves a safe, affordable home, but the mechanism to obtain one is too often dysfunctional and runs counter to our mandate to prevent and end homelessness,” Dinowitz said in part.

 

“Our incredible City Council–funded CBOs are doing this work every day, yet they are constantly thwarted by deficiencies and inefficiencies in Housing Connect,” he added in part. “At the same time, city agencies continue to force people to submit redundant paperwork.” He said Intro. 1463-2025 and Intro. 1464-2025 aim to eliminate what he said were the “harmful and unnecessary bureaucratic barriers” that make it difficult for residents not only to apply for affordable housing but to receive timely updates on their housing applications.

 

The councilman’s team said Intro. 1463-2025 requires HPD to create a new, centralized webpage in the Housing Connect portal that allows CBOs that are designated housing assistance organizations, like West Bronx Housing, to act as intermediaries by accessing and managing accounts on behalf of housing applicants who authorize them to do so.

 

Dinowitz’s team said such CBOs typically serve older adults, people with disabilities, people who are currently unsheltered, and other vulnerable populations who face the most extreme barriers to housing, or who may not be comfortable using digital portals. The law would allow them to view available housing units, submit applications on behalf of individuals, track application progress, and receive notifications about housing units that match their clients’ needs.

 

Dinowitz’s team said each year, the City Council allocates millions of dollars to such CBOs to assist applicants directly, and with this bill, they said the CBOs will be more empowered to do what was described as their “crucial work” and get New Yorkers into housing. They said this will maximize the funding that CBOs receive by speeding up the housing application process as a whole.

 

“For service providers like West Bronx Housing, we often find ourselves facing many of the same unnecessary bureaucratic barriers that frustrate those who come to us seeking help with their housing search,” said Joshua Stephenson, executive director of West Bronx Housing, in part. “[The bills will] empower service providers to better help New Yorkers by bridging the technological and linguistic gaps that hinder our clients’ hunt for a place to live.”

 

Meanwhile, Intro. 1464-2025 requires NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) to ensure that all public assistance documents required for applying for an affordable housing unit are available in an applicant’s Housing Connect portal, upon request. The councilman said hard-working New Yorkers do everything they can to get by, often juggling jobs, childcare, and the daily pressures to make ends meet.

 

He said for too many families, the housing lottery process becomes a hurdle, requiring applicants to repeatedly track down and submit documents they have already provided to the government through HRA. Dinowitz said the bill addresses that burden head-on. Together, he said the two bills will get the City closer to ending the scourge of homelessness, combating the housing crisis, and ensuring New Yorkers, regardless of age, immigration status, or physical ability, can access housing.

 

Noel Hidalgo, executive director of BetaNYC, a public interest tech and open data non-profit, said in part, “As someone who has spent years working to make our city’s data and digital systems work for the public good, I see these two bills as essential steps toward a fairer housing landscape.

 

Raye Barbieri, chief executive officer of the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center (KHCC), said in part, “KHCC serves over 6,500 families annually, and we see first-hand how unnecessary bureaucratic barriers and redundant paperwork prevent even the most diligent applicants from finding affordable housing.”

 

Meanwhile, Community Board 8 (CB8) also applauded Dinowitz for advancing the bills which the board said will tackle one of the most persistent challenges residents currently face i.e. navigating the affordable housing system. Bronx CB8 District Manager Farrah Kule-Rubin said in part, “We frequently hear from constituents who are overwhelmed by Housing Connect’s complexity or discouraged by delays in communication.”