Dalton addresses Intro 98 habitability inspections and pilot program
Dalton says Intro 98 would require the Commissioner of Social Services to deem a dwelling habitable before approving CityFHEPS rental assistance. She shares the goal of safe housing but says DSS opposes some specific requirements and has operated a nine-month pilot.
Introduction 98, sponsored by Councilmember Brewer, would require the Commissioner of Social Services to deem a dwelling unit habitable before
approving City FEPS rental assistance for that unit.
All New Yorkers deserve safe and affordable housing.
We share the goal of ensuring that City FEPS inspections are conducted quickly and result in safe, quality housing for the New Yorkers we serve.
While we oppose some of the specific requirements of the legislation, we are pleased to report on a pilot program that we think meets the intent of Introduction 98.
For the last nine months, we've been operating a pilot program that tests many of the approaches articulated in the proposed legislation.
We believe that the lessons from this pilot program set forth the foundation for an approach that balances the desire to process applications quickly with the need for safe housing conditions.