But as of mid April, the agency reported placing just 11 families. At the hearing, city attorney Leonard Koerner asserted that the payments are being kept low deliberately, to make sure tenants aren't socked with unaffordable rents when the subsidies expire. Since Legal Aid filed its contempt motion against Turner and Mayor Giuliani on April 11, city officials say, no families have been sleeping on the floor. Judge Freeman delayed a decision to give the city more time to find apartments. But HRA is having trouble even when it can offer landlords more money under other programs.
Landlords get cash bonuses for each lease-signing.
Section 8, however, is notoriously annoying. Buildings must be immaculately maintained, and the city is reportedly slow to perform pre-rental inspections, forcing owners to keep apartments vacant for weeks. The city and Legal Aid will be meeting with the Rent Stabilization Association to see how it can persuade its member landlords to rent to homeless families. City investment in affordable housing development has declined 44 percent since 1994. If I'm looking for a unit that doesn't exist, all the incentive in the world isn't going to make it appear.