Monday, March 21, 2011

Legal Aid Society Prepares for Battle with NYC over Work Advantage Program Termination

The following was sent by the Legal Aid Society. It informs tenants and landlords that the Legal Aid Society will sue NYC over its decision to terminate the Work Advantage rent subsidy program. Also included in the notice is information on what actions tenants should take to protect themselves.

Gregory
********

TO ALL ADVANTAGE TENANTS

New York City has sent notices to 15,000 Advantage households saying it will no longer
pay Advantage rent supplements after March 31. Legal Aid believes this is illegal. Legal
Aid will sue the City to require it to pay the promised rent subsidies for current tenants.

When the City signed Advantage leases, it promised to pay the rent subsidies for at least
one year. The City and Advantage participants signed an agreement saying: “the City
will pay the Advantage Rent Payment directly to my Landlord on a monthly basis, for the
first year of the Advantage Program.” The City also promised to pay rent subsidies for
a second year for people who met certain eligibility conditions.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS – PROTECT YOURSELF

Ask for a fair hearing IMMEDIATELY and ask for Aid to Continue by
following the instructions on your “Important Notice Regarding your Advantage Rental
Supplement”. You can ask for a hearing in any of four ways:

1. Fax a copy of your notice to 518.473.6735 (keep a copy of your fax confirmation
sheet to prove you asked for the hearing) or

2. Make an online request at www.otda.state.ny.us/oah/forms.asp or

3. Go in person to the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance at 14
Boerum Place, Ground Floor (corner of Livingston), Brooklyn, New York. (By
Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Borough Hall; N, R to Court Street) or

4. Call 1-800-342-3334 (but this number is usually busy).

Request your hearing with Aid to Continue within 10 days of when your notice
was mailed so your Advantage rent can be continued until your hearing is decided.

Your landlord cannot evict you without taking you to housing court.

Continue to pay your portion of your rent to your landlord on time.

Continue to comply with the Advantage program requirements.

LEGAL AID SOCIETY, HOMELESS RIGHTS PROJECT: 1-800-649-9125


SPANISH VERSION

¡ATENCIÓN! TODOS INQUILINOS DE ADVANTAGE

La Ciudad de Nueva York ha mandado avisos a 15,000 hogares de Advantage diciendo que no
pagara más subsidios de renta después del 31 de marzo. La Sociedad de Ayuda Legal considera
esto ilegal. La Sociedad de Ayuda Legal demandará a la Ciudad para obligarla a que pague los
subsidios de renta prometidos para los inquilinos actuales.

Cuando la Ciudad firmó contratos de arrendamiento de Advantage, prometió pagar el subsidio
de renta por al menos un año. La Ciudad y los participantes de Advantage firmaron un acuerdo
diciendo, “La Ciudad pagará el Pago de Renta de Advantage directamente al dueño
mensualmente, por el primer año del programa de Advantage.” La Ciudad también prometió
pagar los subsidios de renta por un segundo año para personas que llenen ciertos requisitos de
elegibilidad.

CONOZCA SUS DERECHOS – PROTÉJASE

• Pida un audiencia imparcial INMEDIATAMENTE y pida Continuación de Ayuda
siguiendo las instrucciones en su aviso “Important Notice Regarding your Advantage Rental
Supplement”. Puede pedir la audiencia imparcial a través de una de estas maneras:

1. Envíe por fax una copia de su aviso al número: 518.473.6735 (guarde una copia del la
confirmación de recibo para comprobar que pidió la audiencia imparcial) o

2. Complete el formulario a través del sitio: www.otda.state.ny.us/oah/forms.asp o

3. Lleve su aviso al la Oficina de Asistencia Temporal y Asistencia para Incapacitados del
Estado de Nueva York localizado en el 14 Boerum Place, Primer Piso (en la esquina de
Livingston), Brooklyn, NY. (Por Tren: 2, 3, 4, 5 a Borough Hall o N, R a Court Street) o

4. Llame al 1-800-342-3334 (este número normalmente está ocupado).

Pida su audiencia imparcial con Continuación de Ayuda dentro de 10 días del envío
del aviso para continuar los pagos de renta hasta que se decida su audiencia imparcial.

• El dueño no lo puede echar sin llevarlo a la corte de vivienda.

• Siga pagando su parte de la renta al dueño a tiempo.

• Siga cumpliendo con los requisitos del programa de Advantage.

Proveeremos más información cuando este disponible.

LEGAL AID SOCIETY, HOMELESS RIGHTS PROJECT: 1-800-649-9125

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is wonderful to fight the battle with work advantage if you have an apartment and have that letter but people residing in the shelter and still haven't found an apartment and still employeed, a single mother, what happens to them since the voucher is no longer available to them. what can we do to still obtain a voucher when we can't afford this NYC APARTMENTS.

Anonymous said...

what is going to happen to landlords. landlords count with that money to pay for their mortgages. who can the contact? where to go? i know a 5 family building where all apartments are rented with the advantage program.