Housing Choice

Housing Choice: HPD’s Mobility Counseling Program (Housing Choice) is a mobility counseling program administered by the City of New York’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). HPD is working with MHANY to offer Home Improvement Grants on behalf of program participants. The program will provide counseling, financial support, and outreach to help place Section 8 recipients in vacant apartments.

Features of Housing Choice include support and financial incentives for both tenants and property owners, and exception payment standards (EPS) that allow for higher rent subsidies within specific zip codes (EPS areas). A key component of success is having a sufficient supply of housing options. In response, HPD, Enterprise, and MHANY are partnering to add Home Improvement Grants as a key feature of the program.

The two main aspects of the program are: 1) helping property owners repair their homes, and; 2) placing Section 8 voucher holders in vacant units. MHANY has been tasked with helping property owners within EPS areas who have a vacant apartment(s) repair their home, assuming they are willing and able to accept a Section 8 voucher holder.

HPD and Enterprise have funds available to provide home improvement grants that will provide financial assistance to improve homes or bring them up to standard in exchange for committing unit(s) to Section 8 voucher holders for a predetermined period of time (see next page for more information). The time commitment is based on the level of grant funding received.

This grant is NOT income restricted, but is based on zip code. Homeowners who need repairs and are willing to rent a vacant unit to a voucher holder will be considered, regardless of income.

EPS area zip codes can be found at www.nyc.gov/hpd-payment-standards.