New York City's Housing Voucher Program Faces Rent Hike After Council Overrules Mayor's Veto
A significant victory for low-income New Yorkers who rely on the city's housing voucher program, known as CityFHEPS. The NYC Council voted to override Mayor Eric Adams' veto of a bill that would have imposed a rent hike on thousands of families using the program, which provides subsidies to help cover housing costs.
The program is one of the nation's largest, with over 60,000 New York families currently relying on it and another 10,000 waiting in shelters. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development sets a 30% income limit for participants, after which households are considered "cost-burdened." However, the Adams administration had proposed increasing this limit to 40%, arguing that the rent hike was necessary to offset rising costs.
The Council rejected the increase, with Speaker Adrienne Adams stating that her colleagues were "steadfast in working for the people of this city" and accusing Mayor Adams of abandoning his responsibility. Advocates for homeless New Yorkers welcomed the override, saying it would help ensure that people receiving assistance can afford stable housing.
This is not the first time the Council has clashed with Mayor Adams over the voucher program. The administration had vetoed several bills aimed at addressing rising costs, but the Council voted to override those vetoes as well on Thursday.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between local government and private businesses in New York City. One of the bills overridden by the Council requires private employers with more than 200 city employees to submit pay data reports, while another measure would require pay equity studies on these companies.
In response to the override, First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro accused the Council of undermining mayoral authority and burdening businesses with unenforceable requirements. However, Speaker Adams vowed that her colleagues would continue working to make New York City a safer and more affordable place to live.
A significant victory for low-income New Yorkers who rely on the city's housing voucher program, known as CityFHEPS. The NYC Council voted to override Mayor Eric Adams' veto of a bill that would have imposed a rent hike on thousands of families using the program, which provides subsidies to help cover housing costs.
The program is one of the nation's largest, with over 60,000 New York families currently relying on it and another 10,000 waiting in shelters. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development sets a 30% income limit for participants, after which households are considered "cost-burdened." However, the Adams administration had proposed increasing this limit to 40%, arguing that the rent hike was necessary to offset rising costs.
The Council rejected the increase, with Speaker Adrienne Adams stating that her colleagues were "steadfast in working for the people of this city" and accusing Mayor Adams of abandoning his responsibility. Advocates for homeless New Yorkers welcomed the override, saying it would help ensure that people receiving assistance can afford stable housing.
This is not the first time the Council has clashed with Mayor Adams over the voucher program. The administration had vetoed several bills aimed at addressing rising costs, but the Council voted to override those vetoes as well on Thursday.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between local government and private businesses in New York City. One of the bills overridden by the Council requires private employers with more than 200 city employees to submit pay data reports, while another measure would require pay equity studies on these companies.
In response to the override, First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro accused the Council of undermining mayoral authority and burdening businesses with unenforceable requirements. However, Speaker Adams vowed that her colleagues would continue working to make New York City a safer and more affordable place to live.
just drew a diagram to visualize the situation 
housing voucher program 
️
eric adams (gray circle)
pay data reports for private employers with 200+ city employees
pay equity studies for these companies
: the outcome is a win for low-income new yorkers who rely on the program. it shows that the council is willing to stand up to the mayor when they think it's about protecting people's rights and affordable housing 
i mean, we all know that city officials love their private business buddies, right? 
and now they're putting them under pressure to submit pay data reports... sounds like a total non-starter to me 
how's this going to benefit the people who actually need help? what's the actual cost of these so-called 'pay equity studies'? 
. It's all about making sure everyone has a roof over their heads without breaking the bank 
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. I mean, think about it - if we can connect people with the best deals on gadgets and gizmos, why can't we do that for housing? 
It's time for innovation in affordable housing, imo! 
Just saw the news about the NYC Housing Voucher Program being saved from a rent hike! 
The city's low-income families are super lucky they got a reprieve from this bill, considering some of them already have to shell out 30%+ of their income for housing. It's like, what's next? 
I guess the Council is sticking it up against Mayor Adams' plan, which would've made life even harder for people relying on these vouchers.
At least this one's a win for those families who need help with housing. Fingers crossed more bills come through that support low-income folks! 
the NYC council just went against mayor adams on this housing voucher program... its all about making sure low-income families can afford stable housing which is literally everything we need 
. kudos to speaker adams for standing up for her colleagues and keeping the mayor's veto in check 
so let's keep celebrating this victory and hope that it brings some actual change to the lives of those living in shelters 
And let's be real, it's not like this is going to break the bank or anything - just a minor rent hike that'll help keep costs manageable. 
Plus, who doesn't love a good underdog story? 
The fact that 10,000 families are waiting in shelters for a spot just goes to show how serious the issue is and how much this program means to them. We should all be cheering on these advocates who are fighting for a safer and more affordable NYC! 
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. The Council's gotta do what they think is right and speaking out against it takes courage 
. It's not right that they're being asked to pay more rent just because of rising costs. I think it's awesome that Speaker Adams and her colleagues stood up for the people who need it most - it's all about creating a fairer and more affordable life for everyone in NYC 
, just wow! Can't believe the NYC Council is actually standing up for low-income families who need help paying rent 
, I'm all about keeping those subsidies in place so people can have a roof over their heads