Thousands of formerly homeless families are at risk of returning to shelter because of the City’s flawed rental subsidy program, Advantage, which provides a maximum of two years of rental assistance to families exiting shelter. After the end of the program, these families are cut off from receiving assistance despite any continued need. Today’s economic climate, with high rates of unemployment, the rising cost of housing, and the unavailability of Section 8 vouchers are leaving many families unable to pay their rent at the end of the program. Hundreds of families have already returned to shelter and thousands more are at risk.

Additionally, in August the administration will implement changes to the existing program, essentially making it even worse, by enforcing stricter work requirements that ignore the reality of today’s job market and will make fewer families eligible for any assistance at all.

Please join us in demanding that the Bloomberg administration fix this flawed program by providing longer-term, flexible subsidies to families that will effectively bridge the gap between their income and rent. Additionally, the administration should prioritize homeless families for federal housing assistance—a policy that had been effectively used by several Mayoral administrations until Mayor Bloomberg ended it in 2005.

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