Preview - What's New at PEU - June

Hello neighbors and friends –

Welcome to our latest newsletter edition! As the city comes alive with the warmth of summer 🌞, we're dedicated to ensuring that every New Yorker has access to essential resources and programs that enhance their quality of life.

In this issue, we're shining a spotlight on the often-overlooked Rent Freeze Program, designed to assist eligible older New Yorkers and New Yorkers with disabilities maintain the affordability of their housing by reducing the burden of rent increases (there’s a similar program for homeowners that you can learn about here). Learn more about Rent Freeze and other city resources below.

In a New York state of mind 🗽,
The Public Engagement Unit

P.S. We’re PEU and we’re here for YOU – learn more about our team in our brand new video!

Top 4️⃣ Resources We're Sharing this Month

HEAP Cooling Assistance

We partnered with the Department of Social Services in honor of National Heat Awareness Day to get the word out about cooling assistance. Funds can go quickly for this first-come, first-served benefit, so eligible New Yorkers should act fast to apply!

Essential Plan Expansion

Exciting news for New Yorkers! The Essential Plan's eligibility rules expanded in April 2024, meaning more New Yorkers qualify for this low-cost health insurance plan. Learn more about the Essential Plan here or enroll online at the NY State of Health website.

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers

For the first time in 15 years, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) reopened the waitlist for its Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Program on June 3rd. NYCHA is accepting online applications for the lottery to be placed on the waitlist now through June 9th at 11:59 PM. Once the lottery application period closes, NYCHA will randomly place 200,000 applications on the waitlist. Visit this website to apply.

Work with PEU Comms

The Mayor's Public Engagement Unit is looking for an AmeriCorps member to join our communications team. The Communications Associate Corps Member at the Public Engagement Unit will serve full-time from September 2024 - June 2025. Learn more and apply to join our team.

Program Spotlight: Freezing Rents for Older New Yorkers and New Yorkers with Disabilities 🧊

Thousands of New Yorkers are leaving State affordable housing dollars on the table. New York City’s Rent Freeze Program is heavily underutilized, with roughly 63,000 New Yorkers who are eligible but not yet enrolled. Rent Freeze, composed of the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) Program for eligible older adults and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) Program for eligible New Yorkers with disabilities, helps New Yorkers stay in their units by shielding them from the burden of rent increases.

We just began the second phase of an outreach initiative that we launched this winter to ensure more New Yorkers know about the crucial Rent Freeze Program. Every Tuesday, outreach teams from across PEU knock on doors in areas of the city with high rates of potentially eligible tenants. This year, the team has already knocked on over 9000 doors and spoken with nearly 1700 New Yorkers about this important program.

If we determine someone might be eligible during our canvassing, we connect them to our dedicated in-house Rent Freeze Specialists who follow up by phone to help them navigate the application process. If we are unable to reach someone after multiple phone attempts, the Rent Freeze Specialists will even go back out and knock on their door again. Our goal at PEU is to go do everything in our power to connect New Yorkers to the resources they need and deserve.

We’re also partnering with elected officials, community-based organizations, and other agencies to connect with eligible New Yorkers. We hosted a day-long SCRIE/DRIE clinic with Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso and the Flatbush Tenant Coalition last month. Every month, we hold regular office hours for tenants in Manhattan Districts 3 and 10 with Council Members De La Rosa and Bottcher’s offices and partner with HRA’s Adult Protective Services to ensure more New Yorkers are connected to the program.

We are so proud of our team and the passion they put into their outreach work every day. We know this work, alongside the dedicated application support, makes a difference. Don’t believe us? See what one New Yorker we helped shared about her experience with working our team.

Do you think you might qualify for Rent Freeze? Check out the Department of Finance’s online tool to check your eligibility, or call our team! New Yorkers can call our Rent Freeze Hotline at 929-252-7242 to speak with a PEU Rent Freeze Specialist.

In the words of our Rent Freeze Outreach Manager, Chris Wagner, “If you’re ever unsure, just apply, and we’ll take the rest from there. You have a right to get this benefit if you’re eligible.”

PEU - WHO ⭐ Staff Spotlight

Meet Ehsan, a member of our Special Projects team!

What motivates you in your work?

I've observed that the Bangladeshi community, which I am a part of, often lacks focus and is frequently overlooked. My goal is to change that. I've dedicated significant time to engaging with Bangladeshi communities – I find that when community members see someone like me who speaks Bangla and shares their background, they are more likely to engage. The resilience and challenges faced by my clients are what drive me to continue serving my community.

In my role on the Special Projects team, I’ve been connecting with mosques, community boards, and organizations to ensure we better serve Bangladeshis and South Asian communities more broadly. My vision is to empower and uplift the Bangladeshi community through these efforts.

Are there any cases you’ve worked on recently that have stuck with you?

Recently, while attending an event at the Workforce1 Career Center in Queens, I met a Bengali woman seeking assistance. She needed help creating a resume from scratch. Though it’s not technically in my job description, I helped her build it, and she was genuinely moved, saying that no one had ever offered her this much support before.

Just a few days ago, she called to let me know that she had successfully applied to several customer service positions. This experience reminds me of the profound impact we can have on individuals' lives by showing up for them.

In the News 🗞️

Read more here

Ciudad de Nueva York ofrece programa de cobertura de salud a bajo costo para inmigrantes en Univision Nueva York

Mayor Adams, New York City Emergency Management Announce Proactive Safety Plan To Help New Yorkers “Beat The Heat,” Resources To Protect Against Extreme Summer Weather

How to sign up for a free air conditioner in New York City in Pix 11

About PEU

The NYC Public Engagement Unit (PEU) uses community organizing principles to re-envision how the city provides services to its most vulnerable communities. Rather than expecting constituents to navigate a complex city bureaucracy to get the help they need, PEU adopts grassroots tactics to meet residents where they are — at their doors and on their phones, in their social media feeds, and in their communities. PEU combines this proactive outreach with comprehensive case management, and in doing so, builds long-term relationships between New Yorkers and their government.

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