Dear Friends,
Yesterday, at the Senior Institute of the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged, I received an important question from one of the participants - "Who in New York is watching over Section 8 housing?"
The question was particularly timely as today Public Advocate Bill de Blasio released a new Red Tape report on recent problems with Housing Authority's administration of the Section 8 program which provides housing subsidies to almost 100,000 tenants in New York City.
> Read the full report here: http://advocate.nyc.gov/section8
Highlighting problems with technology errors and bureaucratic backlogs which have led to tenant evictions and landlord defaults, the Public Advocate called for new controls on NYCHA's computer system and a single point of contact for each constituent.
You can read more about this issue - and see NYCHA's response to our report - in today's New York Post at http://nyp.st/vN9iZw
If you have experienced problems with the Section 8 program, our Constituent Services team is available to help by calling 212-669-7250 or by sending an email to GetHelp@pubadvocate.nyc.gov . You can also share your story on our website or connect with the Public Advocate on Facebook or Twitter .
Best,
Jeff S. Merritt
Senior Advisor
NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio