“Today’s action by the Governor on the Shelter Allowance bill is a major win for the more than 400,000 NYCHA residents. It resolves an inequity that paid private landlords a higher shelter allowance than local housing authorities for individuals on public assistance – even though housing authorities offer additional benefits and services. As New York City’s population continues to grow, this is a major step forward in the City’s continued commitment to provide and maintain affordable housing. I particularly want to thank the sponsors, Senator Lanza and Assemblyman Lopez, as well as all of the public housing advocates for their instrumental support.

“New York City is investing $2 billion to repair and modernize public housing throughout our city.  At the same time, NYCHA has made the difficult but necessary decisions to reduce headcounts, increase rents, cut administrative costs and reduce overtime to ensure fiscal stability while still keeping the commitments to residents.  By signing this legislation, Governor Spitzer has helped ensure the viability of public housing in New York City for years to come.” 

NYCHA Chair Tino Hernandez’s Statement on the Governor Signing S.4329/A.7905 Into Law Today:
 
“I am deeply grateful to Governor Spitzer for signing the Shelter Allowance bill.  He has made it clear to NYCHA residents that the State is part of the solution to preserve public housing for current and future generations. This has been a challenge for a number of years, requiring us to make some difficult choices, and I appreciate the Governor’s support in these demanding times.

“The Governor and his staff listened to the broad coalition of concerned people headed by Mayor Bloomberg, Assemblyman Lopez and Senator Lanza, and which also included City, State and Federal elected officials, labor partners, housing advocates and residents to solve a funding problem that he inherited.  Today’s signing is a watershed moment for NYCHA.”