Legal Aid on City's plan to suspend Advantage Program rents

[TenantNet]

March 21, 2011
LEGAL AID SOCIETY, HOMELESS RIGHTS PROJECT: 1-800-649-9125


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.

We will provide more information as it becomes available.

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