HPD AFFORDABLE HOUSING

[BronxBomber]

does anyone here know of anyone who has gotten into affordable housing in NYC that actually NEEDED IT. I have been sending in applications to ALL of the affordable housing listings on the NYC.gov/hpd site and they all seem to end up going to people that dont need them. either they deny you say that you have 14 days to appeal (and the letter gets to you late) or they want an excessive amount of documentation and the appleals dont get approved. does anynone know how to get though those hoops of FIRE. i have just about had it and will go to my counsel person for help!

[Iddabiddy35]

Dear Bronxbomer - I will be very interested in the replies your inquiry receives. I had previously posted a note about getting an apartment via www.nychdc.com and I also asked if there was anyone who had gotten an apartment via the process and how long it took them. I understand that the 'lists' are extremely long and that a lottery is involved - and sometimes you have to live in the community in which the new housing is being built etc. and etc.. I heard from Anna that you should also go to your local councilperson's office and get on that list - but you do wonder.....

[HardKnocks]

Iddabiddy, I don't think you'll qualify, since you own a house. They want to know every detail of your financial life, especially income and assets, and owning a house would probably exclude you from eligibility.

They're pretty picky. You can't have a 2BR if you're alone, even if you're willing to pay for it.

[Iddabiddy35]

Hi Bleary-eyes - no I do NOT qualify for conideration for low or middle income housing - but my sons do and I am trying to help them by gathering as much information as I can. So again I am curious to know if there is anyone who did get an apartment via the DHCR advance info list and how long it took them etc.. So I hope someone or several people who got such housing will respond and share their experiences.

[BronxBomber]

Its funny becasue I do qualify, and what has happened on two separate occasions is that I get a letter stating why I dont qualify. Either they say I make too much money(and I only apply to the ones in which my income meets thier guidelines)or some other reason. Then they say you have 14 days from the date of the letter to respond (and sometimes the mail date is about two days after the letter date)They want your DNA. I have filed an appeal with one of the places I applied to. They received it, lets see what happens. AND I will get in touch with my cousel person if they try any funny stuff. Its like they want poor people to have perfect credit which is such and OXIMORON.

[HardKnocks]

I know, it's nuts. They even want to know if you have jewelry. I had gone to look at a place and the broker informed me that it was one of those middle-income apts., and that you had to meet their requirements.

So I looked at the application and I couldn't believe it, the hoops they expected me to jump through for a $1300 tiny 1 BR apartment in Rego Park. They really do want way too much information.

[Cranky Tenant]

Originally posted by BronxBomber:
Its funny becasue I do qualify, and what has happened on two separate occasions is that I get a letter stating why I dont qualify. Either they say I make too much money(and I only apply to the ones in which my income meets thier guidelines)or some other reason. Then they say you have 14 days from the date of the letter to respond (and sometimes the mail date is about two days after the letter date)They want your DNA. I have filed an appeal with one of the places I applied to. They received it, lets see what happens. AND I will get in touch with my cousel person if they try any funny stuff. Its like they want poor people to have perfect credit which is such and OXIMORON.

I had a similarly bizarre experience. Initiallly I was told I didn't qualify, and then maybe six months later I received a follow up letter stating they determined I did qualify after all.

I was given two weeks to produce four years of financial documentation, including tax returns and all banking records, plus photo ID for everyone was going to live in the apartment, etc. They determined when I should come in with no guarantee that an apartment was actually available, or that my infomation would be kept confidential.

I decided it was more trouble thant was worth.

[Iddabiddy35]

I am very concerned about the selection process and the Building Management Companies WHO are responsible for reviewing all the applications that come in for the special disignated low and middle income houseing apartments/co-ops/condos. I don't believe there is any DHCR representation or personnel working together with the Management to check out the thousands of applications that come in. And I am concerned about the criteria demanded and that there are no quarantees of confidentiality. I can understand a request for solid financial evidence that the potential applicant must present but the photo ID of everyone that might be living in the apartment/co-op/condo really got to me.
Frankly, I am very concerned because here is a pool of people who's identities could easily be stolen!
DHCR states that they will give out information about new buidlings that must have a certain number of low and middle income apartments BUT that is all they do. They are not part of the selection process. SO I am very concerned about this.
TenantNet - is there some information you can provide as to the credibility of the selection process and who is monitoring the Management Companies who are in charge of all the applications?

[BronxBomber]

well i filled an appeal and sent in like EVERY PIECE of documentation that I could think of to the management agency. and when i called before hand to see what it is that i needed to send in they said we cant tell you what to give us. so i will give you an update as to what my appeal determination is.

[Iddabiddy35]

Hi BronxBomber - good luck. Yes, keep us informed as to your progress. Good for you for filing an appeal and going after an apartment. I really wish you all the best. And by the way, are you a Yankee Fan by any chance (what with your screen name being Bronx Bomber......)

[BronxBomber]

No I am actually not a baseball fan at all.

So I got a letter from the management agency which is going over the applications for the affordable housing, here is an excrept of what it says:

Your original status remains unchanged.

Remarks:

This program applies uniform polocies and proceedures to all applicants. One such policy is that an applicant must be eligible at teh time they are being concidered...Your appeal shows there was a claim against you for back rent and you surrenderd the apartment. This is considered poor credit history. We are unable to assist you.

Here is the thing, my stipulation of settlement that I gave them says nothing about past rent owed and I never owed the landlord any money, it was just an agreement to move by a certain date. That was in 2003, the application was in 2004 so at no time during thier process was this even an issue. Since when does surrenduring an apartment equal poor credit history?

Well this is not going to stop here, right about now I am tired of people creating thier own system of rules. Basically what they are telling me was that there really was no need for an appeal since you didnt have everything when we initially called you. And since I never went in for an interview/credit check and this is just based on my application, they have no basis to deny me for credit purposes. I am going to take this to the counsel woman in Brooklyn, since this is the place where the management agency operates. I have another person who is going though the same thing and we are going to go in on this together. It seems as if NONE of these apartments are going to the people that they should be going to, New Yorkers with low income.

IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO IS GOING THROUGH THE SAME, PLEASE TELL THEM TO SEND ME A PM SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THIS TO THESE AGENCIES AS A GROUP.

[Iddabiddy35]

Dear Bronxbomber, I think you should ask the 'management agency' that is reviewing all the applications WHAT CREDIT CHECK SOURCE did they use? If this issue is part of your credit history and it's incorrect, you must make it correct (as it is affecting your credit history). And then I think you should call Tenant.Net for a referral to a tenants' lawyer who can help people in all income brackets...low to high. OK...You might want to look into 'credit histories' because a little thing can stay on your record for 7 years or whatever the law says before it is removed. Good Luck. (Sorry you're not a baseball fan....)

[BronxBomber]

Here is the thing, they didnt use ANY credit source as I didnt give them any monies as yet to do a credit check. This is just based on what was in the application so its not on my credit report anymore (which is a recent development) so they cant deny me on poor credit if they havent even checked as of yet.