I am writing to ask you to support the option for low-income families to use CityFEPS vouchers outside of NYC as approved in September 2023. The Department of Social Services adjusted the local Housing Vouchers (CityFHEPS) rate to fair market rent in counties outside the city so recipients can use their vouchers outside of NYC, countering the argument from upstate that CItyFEPS will skew the local housing market. Despite the rate adjustment, a group of upstate leaders is blocking NYC residents from using city-funded CityFEPS to rent in their counties by barring landlords from accepting the subsidies despite a 2019 law prohibiting these discriminatory measures. These measures ultimately disproportionately impact people of color, people with disabilities, or families headed by single mothers and can often serve as a proxy for other illegal forms of bias. I am asking you to speak out against these discriminatory housing practices and support the use of CityFEPS outside of NYC.
