On “Do Something Good for Your Neighbor” Day, the New York City Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU) is hosting an event encouraging landlords to rent to housing voucher holders.
The May 16 event, which was hosted in partnership with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), saw participants email their landlords to encourage them to rent to Section 8 voucher holders.
This outreach is part of the PEU’s “I Vouch for Vouchers” campaign which spotlights the universal benefits of renting to tenants who are voucher recipients.
“Landlords and brokers can play a huge part in moving New Yorkers from homelessness into stable housing,” said Adrienne Lever, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU). “Innovative events and inter-agency partnerships like these are a complement to the calls, texts, and on-ground outreach our team does every day to connect with landlords and brokers and support them in the process of renting to voucher holders.”
Renting to voucher recipients is not only a way to move New Yorkers out of shelters and into stable housing, but it also maintains a sense of business for landlords and brokers. Voucher cover costs include a 15% broker fee for each unit, security covering 1 month’s rent, and free, individualized assistance from PEU Specialists throughout the entire lease-up and rental process.
SBS and HPD mobile units were on-site during the event and are a great way to encourage voucher holders to get help with their resumes, interview skills, and career advice in order to successfully apply for jobs and housing.
“Not only is renting to voucher holders the right thing for landlords and brokers to do for their neighbors, but with the City’s incentives and supportive structures in place to help voucher holders throughout the rental process, it also makes good business sense,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “This is an all-around win for landlords, voucher holders, and our city. You can do good and do well.”
To learn more about the PEU’s efforts to support tenants, visit their website or call 311 for more information.
