Pandemic Rental Assistance Funding Strengthened the Renter Safety Net Urban Institute, February 28, 2022
Despite the substantial challenges to develop brand new emergency rental assistance programs, federal relief has successfully reached families and kept them housed in the face of the pandemic recession and financial insecurity. As the housing affordability crisis worsens, these new programs can be leveraged to promote long-term stability.
Falling Through the Cracks? The Distribution of ERAP Spending in New York State
NYU Furman Center, February 24, 2022
This analysis identifies and describes the ZIP Codes in New York City and a subsample of New York State that received lower and higher than expected ERAP applications to inform decisions about how to prioritize areas for other interventions and the allocation of any additional ERA funds that may come to New York State in the future. It finds that low-application outlier ZIP Codes had relatively low rates of pre-pandemic eviction filings and unemployment.
California’s Homekey Program: Unlocking Housing Opportunities for People Experiencing Homelessness Terner Center for Housing Innovation, March 17, 2022
In this report, the authors present research analyzing the lessons learned from Homekey 1.0. Data come from an analysis of of application and expenditure data on Homekey projects statewide, case studies of seven local approaches to Homekey implementation, as well as 31 interviews with 46 practitioners working on Homekey sites across the state. They find that Homekey is making significant progress on providing housing for the state’s unsheltered homeless population, and that it serves as an innovative model for how to bring units online faster and more cost-effectively than has traditionally been the case for affordable housing. The initiative’s key innovations relate to the structure and process for financing, as well as the regulatory exceptions included in the law.
Comparing the Current 421-a Exemption to Governor Hochul’s Proposed Reforms NYU Furman Center, March 7, 2022
This blog compares Governor Kathy Hochul's proposed program, 485-w or Affordable Neighborhoods for New Yorkers (ANNY), as a replacement for 421-a, known as “Affordable New York” (ANY). It finds that the Governor’s proposed 485-w program differs in key ways, including deepening the affordability of income-restricted units in rental projects and expanding the use of the property tax exemption for ownership projects.
Data Update: Analysis Of Renters At Risk As Eviction Moratorium Expires NYU Furman Center, January 15, 2022
To detail the more immediate implications of lapsing regulatory protections in New York State, researchers summarize key data that offer insight into the volume and nature of eviction cases, explain how eviction cases have proceeded through the courts to the stage where tenants have outstanding warrants for eviction, and review the current status of the three principal tenant protections.
