Vacant Affordable Apartments in a Housing Crisis? There’s More to the Story
A two-bedroom apartment on Tiebout Avenue in the Bronx has been ready to rent for over a year.
Gothamist Article – A $1,250 2 bedroom in NYC? Here’s Why it’s been empty for 16 months
NY Housing Conference Policy Brief – Housing Connect Re-Rental Problems
The Gothamist, an online news source and blog from WNYC public radio, covered the new policy brief by the New York Housing Conference on Housing Connect Re-Rental Vacancy Problems. UNHP oversees about 27 affordable multifamily buildings and shared data on the delays and implications of prolonged vacant units. Housing Connect, the NYC online affordable housing lottery, is the well-known site for apartment seekers to apply for the newly constructed affordable multifamily buildings through NYC.
The Gothamist article “A $1,250 2 bedroom in NYC? Here’s why it’s been empty for 16 months” highlights the vacancy in apartments in the Bronx. Since September 2023, a two-bedroom apartment on Tiebout Avenue in the Bronx, renovated and is renting at $1,250.85 per month for families that earn less than $101,000 a year, has been vacant. University Neighborhood Housing Program has been eager to rent it, but the city’s bureaucratic rules have delayed the process for about a year and a half. These rules require landlords to go through the city’s Housing Lottery system, in which it takes months to find a tenant, and in this case, so far over a year. Many applicants are discouraged and are not interested in applying for these available apartments, which further delays the process. Most Housing Connect applicants use the online lottery to apply for the newly constructed apartments throughout the City. Applicants do not realize that by checking all the rental boxes on the application, they have also selected re-rentals. Re-rentals are newly available units in occupied buildings like the ones UNHP oversees – gut rehabilitated 15 to 20 years ago and have recently undergone refinance and modest renovation with City financing. These apartments ( pictured above) are well-maintained – but not new and can be located in walk-up apartment buildings without some of the amenities associated by applicants with Housing Connect like elevators, modern kitchens, gyms, and on-site security. Using the Housing Connect system for these types of re-rentals inherently confuses the applicants and ultimately selected applicants are not interested in the property once they get through the screening process. The applicant is not the only frustrated party. Community developers like UNHP have apartments that are move-in ready for LMI tenants accumulating months of foregone rent payments.
Pictured above are some UNHP affordable occupied multifamily properties with their vacant units.
The NY Housing Conference policy brief released on February 11th entitled: Housing Connect Re-Rental Vacancy Problems. The brief looks at lengthy delays in re-renting affordable housing units, costing developers thousands of dollars and delaying desperately needed housing for New York City’s struggling households. The City must prioritize re-renting affordable housing as quickly and efficiently as possible. This will prevent affordable housing providers from unnecessarily losing income and decrease wait times for renters in need of affordable housing. The City must also improve the functionality of the Housing Connect portal so that New Yorkers can view affordable housing vacancies.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Marketing requirements should be reformed to make filing re-rentals more efficient and to decrease the time units are vacant. The City should also improve transparency and choice for renters in search of affordable housing.
Exempt re-rentals from Housing Connect: Alternative marketing procedures should be established for affordable housing re-rentals. The City should set rules and conduct audits to ensure compliance and fairness.
Publicly post re-rentals: The City should post re-rentals on Housing Connect or another website so that New Yorkers have information on vacancies, but owners should not be required to lease up through any portal that does not offer an efficient experience for both renters and owners.
See the policy brief here.