Posted on March 2, 2017 by Amy Zimmer in DNAinfo DNAinfo, By Amy Zimmer Mayor Bill de Blasio’s new plan to tackle the skyrocketing homeless population across the city includes an expanded effort to keep at-risk New Yorkers in their homes through rental assistance programs, he said Tuesday. The various rental assistance programs — which provide cash or other assistance to those struggling to pay rent — is not only a boon to renters, it’s also significantly cheaper for the city than paying the roughly $41,000 a year it costs to house a family in the shelter system, according to city data.
