Eviction Prevention Training

Summary

The City of New York's Eviction Prevention Training provides vital strategies for landlords and property managers to help keep tenants in their homes. The program outlines the effects of eviction, proactive measures for prevention, and resources such as financial counseling and legal aid. The aim is to reduce city and tenant costs while maintaining tenant stability, presenting a unified effort to manage affordable housing effectively.

Highlights

• The training emphasizes the shared goal between the city and housing providers to keep tenants in their homes, emphasizing affordability and stability.
• Eviction not only impacts tenants' mental health and financial status but also costs the city in providing shelter and services.
• Key strategies include proactive outreach, systematic tracking of payments, and offering financial counseling.
• Resources like the Tenant Helpline and Homebase services offer vital support for tenants at risk.
• The training discusses multiple programs to aid tenants in financial distress and the importance of early intervention to prevent evictions.

Key Takeaways

• Eviction prevention is crucial for tenant stability and reducing city costs. 🏢
• Proactive management and communication are key to avoiding evictions. 📞
• Resources are available through the city to help both tenants and landlords. 🛠️
• Financial counseling and credit opportunities can aid tenant stability. 💰
• Legal assistance and mediation can resolve conflicts outside court. ⚖️

Overview

The Eviction Prevention Training by NYC Housing is a comprehensive guide for landlords, property managers, and developers to understand and implement strategies to reduce evictions. It addresses the consequences of eviction for both tenants and landlords, highlighting the financial, social, and legal implications.

Participants are trained on proactive measures such as setting up systems for tracking rental payments and arrears, providing financial counseling opportunities, and engaging tenants with at-risk situations early to prevent litigation in housing courts. The session also delves into the use of legal assistance and city resources to help maintain tenant occupancy.

With eviction prevention being a shared goal between the city and property managers, the training encourages the adoption of low-cost interventions to streamline assistance through city-backed programs like the Tenant Helpline, Homebase, and the Rent Freeze Program. These aim to stabilize tenants' living conditions, thereby aiding in the conservation of city resources.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction The 'Introduction' chapter of the City of New York's Eviction Prevention online training outlines the agenda, which includes four key items: defining eviction prevention, discussing the consequences of evictions for both owners and tenants, introducing best practices to prevent and reduce evictions, and providing resources for eviction prevention. The content is presented by HPD and HDC on behalf of the City of New York.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Disclaimer The Disclaimer chapter outlines that the content provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as legal advice. The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) along with their associates are not responsible for any inaccuracies or omissions in the information provided. For any questions, readers are directed to contact [email protected].
• 01:00 - 02:00: Training Goals and Overview The chapter titled 'Training Goals and Overview' clarifies that the information presented is not a comprehensive or definitive account of the rights and responsibilities of property owners and tenants concerning New York City's housing laws and rules. It acknowledges that laws are subject to ongoing change and may differ depending on specific facts and situations. Consequently, the legal information provided may not be current or applicable to all individual circumstances.
• 02:00 - 04:00: Eviction Prevention Significance The chapter focuses on the significance of eviction prevention, aiming to equip rental housing owners, property managers, and developers with the necessary information, resources, and best practices to prevent and decrease evictions. The intended result is for housing providers to create new or enhance current policies and procedures to avert eviction, ensuring tenants remain stably housed. The City shares in this common objective.
• 04:00 - 04:30: Cost-Effective Eviction Prevention The chapter titled 'Cost-Effective Eviction Prevention' focuses on strategies to prevent evictions and keep tenants stably housed through collaboration with building owners and managers to provide quality affordable housing. It highlights the importance of low-cost interventions and timely access to resources to aid both owners and tenants. Resources such as 311's Tenant Helpline and city-provided online materials are recommended as valuable tools in this effort.
• 04:30 - 08:00: Recommendations for Avoiding Evictions The chapter titled 'Recommendations for Avoiding Evictions' discusses strategies to prevent evictions and maintain stable housing for tenants. It emphasizes avoiding the need to go to housing court and differentiates between an 'eviction filing'—the initiation of a court case, and an 'eviction'—the actual removal of tenants and their belongings by a City Marshal as per a court order.
• 08:00 - 10:00: Legal and Mediation Resources The chapter 'Legal and Mediation Resources' discusses the importance of eviction prevention. It emphasizes that preventing evictions can be beneficial for tenants, property owners, managers, and society as a whole. It outlines the costly nature of evictions for building owners and managers, as well as the significant time and resource investment required. Additionally, the chapter highlights the detrimental effects evictions have on tenants, including potential destabilization of employment and income, as well as negative impacts on their credit.
• 10:00 - 13:00: Financial Assistance and Reporting Income The chapter titled 'Financial Assistance and Reporting Income' discusses the significant impacts of eviction on individuals and families. Eviction can exacerbate both mental and physical health problems, disrupt children's education, and negatively affect their long-term educational and job prospects. These issues can compound, increasing the likelihood of future evictions and leading to potential homelessness for affected households.
• 13:00 - 15:00: Additional Resources and Conclusion This chapter discusses the financial burden on the City in terms of providing shelter and addressing the consequences of eviction. It highlights that evictions not only have social impacts but also result in increased City spending for evicted households. By reducing expenditure on emergency shelters and services related to eviction consequences, funds could be reallocated to capital budgets and housing services. The chapter emphasizes that keeping tenants stably housed and away from emergency shelters aligns with the mission of City agencies focused on providing affordable housing.

Eviction Prevention Training Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 Welcome to the City of New York's Eviction  Prevention online training. The agenda   for this training will cover four major  items: (1) defining eviction prevention   (2) consequences of evictions for  owners tenants in the city (3)   best practices to prevent and reduce evictions  and (4) eviction prevention resources.   Note: HPD and HDC are providing this  content on behalf of the City of New York
• 00:30 - 01:00 and are not responsible or liable for any errors  misrepresentations or omissions contained herein.   If there are any questions  on this content or sources   please contact [email protected]. This  content is intended for informational purposes   only and is not intended to be and does not  constitute legal advice or opinion by HPD, HDC,   or any of their related entities, officers,  employees, agents, attorneys, or representatives.
• 01:00 - 01:30 This information is not a complete or final  statement of all the responsibilities and   rights of owners and tenants regarding laws and  rules relating to housing in New York City. The   content may not reflect current legal developments  since the law is constantly changing and since   the law will vary based on different facts and  circumstances, statements regarding the status   of a given law or legal issue may not be current  or applicable to your particular situation.
• 01:30 - 02:00 The goal of this training is to provide  owners, property managers, and developers of   rental housing with information, resources, and  best practices to prevent and reduce evictions. The desired outcome is that housing providers  will develop new (or improve existing) policies   and procedures to prevent eviction and keep  tenants stably housed. The City shares a common
• 02:00 - 02:30 goal with building owners and managers to provide  quality affordable housing and to reduce evictions   where possible to keep tenants stably housed.  Adopting a few low-cost interventions can get   you and your tenants the right resources  at the right time to prevent an eviction.   In this training, we'll provide more detail on key  places to access helpful resources and information   for both owners and tenants, such as 311's Tenant  Helpline and online materials from the City.
• 02:30 - 03:00 When we talk about eviction prevention,  we mean the range of strategies to help   keep tenants stably housed without having  to go to housing court. When we refer to   an "eviction filing" in this training, we mean  the action of starting a case in housing court.   When we talk about an "eviction" in this  training, we mean the actual removal of a tenant   and their belongings pursuant to a court order  which can only be carried out by a City Marshal.
• 03:00 - 03:30 Why is eviction prevention important? Eviction  prevention can protect the interests of tenants   property owners and managers and society at large. As you know, evictions are costly for building  owners and managers, and demand a lot of your time   and resources. The experience of being evicted  can be extremely harmful to tenants as well.   Evictions can destabilize tenants' employment  and incomes. It can also impact their credit
• 03:30 - 04:00 and access to financial resources. The stress of  eviction can harm their health. both mental and   physical. For families, eviction can interrupt  a child's education and harm their long-term   educational attainment and job prospects. All  of these effects can compound on each other.   Tenants who have been evicted are more likely  to be evicted again, making the downstream   impacts more intractable. Once a household  is evicted, should they become unhoused,
• 04:00 - 04:30 it is extremely costly to the City to provide  shelter and treat the effects of eviction. in addition to the social impacts, evictions  can lead to increased City spending to assist   evicted households. Reducing expenditures  on emergency shelter and other services   that respond to the effects of eviction may help  increase the availability of funds for capital   budgets and housing services. Keeping tenants  stably housed and out of emergency shelters   is central to the mission of City agencies  providing affordable housing, which in turn helps
• 04:30 - 05:00 us support our partners who make this affordable  housing possible. Given the considerable cost   of eviction, and based on feedback from many of  our partners, we believe that adopting proactive   interventions to avoid eviction are more cos-  efficient for the City, the tenant. and the owner. When putting together this training, we spoke with  some of our owner and property manager partners
• 05:00 - 05:30 who shared best practices on avoiding eviction.  They gave us the following recommendations. First,   make eviction prevention a priority. If possible,  dedicate a staff member or several people on your   team - even if it's just a part of their time -  to eviction prevention work, including proactive   outreach, resource referrals, repayment plans, and  general liaising with tenants and their concerns.
• 05:30 - 06:00 Second, make a habit of systematically  and regularly tracking rental payments,   arrears, and eviction letters and filings,  if you don't already. Tracking payments,   arrears, and evictions can help owners and  property managers observe emerging trends   and be ready to give tenants appropriate  guidance and resources if an issue arises. Third, when possible, provide tenants with credit  building and financial counseling opportunities.
• 06:00 - 06:30 You and your tenants can visit the website of  the City's Department of Consumer and Worker   Protection to get access to financial  empowerment resources and information.   Fourth, assist in annual re-certification (and  other annual obligations). If you have tenants   receiving rental assistance, offer them help with  completing annual and interim recertifications.   The City created a helpful recertification  checklist for both HPD Section 8 and NYCHA   Section 8. The checklist outlines instructions  for completing interim and annual recertifications
• 06:30 - 07:00 as well as the necessary documentation  required. You can find both checklists   online at nyc.gov/tenantprotection. Fifth,  proactively reach out to tenants in arrears.   Owners and property managers should engage with  tenants to find out why they are unable to pay   rent and to see if there is a way to get them  help, such as connecting them to City resources.
• 07:00 - 07:30 Proactive outreach attendance  could include an email, phone call,   courtesy notice, non-legal  letters, and in-person meetings.   It is best to develop standard, clear, and  non-confrontational talking points for staff   to use when asking tenants about their arrears  and the factor(s) that may have caused them.   Sixth, refer tenants to resources from the City  and other providers as early as possible. It's a   good idea to give tenants information and make  sure it's provided to them in multiple, easily
• 07:30 - 08:00 accessible ways such as in flyers, emails, or  posted in common areas throughout your buildings.   Seventh, try to work out a repayment plan before  filing a non-payment action in housing court.   This can be more cost effective than  commencing an action in housing court.   It's a good idea to create a repayment plan  that is realistic based on the tenant's   financial situation to allow them to  successfully pay back their arrears.
• 08:00 - 08:30 The City and many community-based organizations  provide financial and legal resources that can   help reduce evictions. The next few slides  provide an overview of those resources.   The City has put together an Eviction Prevention  brochure that outlines many of the key resources   and programs that we are about to present.   It is available at nyc.gov/tenantprotection  under the Resources section
• 08:30 - 09:00 and is translated into 10 languages. It  is also available on the training webpage. Access to Legal Help. If your  tenants are at risk of eviction,   you can help get them connected with the Tenant  Helpline. The Tenant Helpline is a clearinghouse   of resources that the City provides to help  tenants remain stably housed. To access the   tenant helpline you can direct tenants to call  311 and say "tenant helpline" to be connected.
• 09:00 - 09:30 The 311 Call Center Representative will connect  callers with a voicemail box for the Tenant   Helpline where they must leave their name and  phone number to be contacted by Helpline staff.   Tenants can tell the 311 Call Center  Representative and Tenant Helpline   staff their preferred language to be  connected with someone who speaks that   language or with a phone translator. They  may also leave a message on the voicemail   box in their preferred language to receive a  callback in that language. As an alternative,
• 09:30 - 10:00 tenants may fill out the "Contact Us" form on  the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants website   so that a Tenant Helpline staffer can contact  them. The City's Tenant Helpline connects   tenants with Tenant Support Specialists and  legal services providers for information,   advice, and possible case management or legal  representation. This free service is available   to all New York City tenants, regardless  of income, immigration status, or zip code.
• 10:00 - 10:30 The Landlord-Tenant Mediation Program is designed  to resolve housing-related issues that have   arisen as a result of COVID-19. This program can  help tenants and landlords create an agreement   outside of Housing Court to resolve issues that  include but are not limited to unpaid rent,   lease concerns, or move outs. You and your tenants  can learn more about this free mediation program   at nyc.gov/tenantprotection. Tenants may also  access information about free legal resources,
• 10:30 - 11:00 by calling the Tenant Helpline  or visiting nyc.gov/civiljustice.   Free legal resources can benefit  both owners and tenants. For example,   lawyers can assist tenants in obtaining rental  assistance and other resources and be able to   mediate disputes. Rent and Utility Assistance.  If you have tenants with rental assistance,
• 11:00 - 11:30 like Section 8 or CityFHEPS, who are experiencing  difficulty in paying their portion of the rent,   you can help direct them to the appropriate agency  for assistance. When tenants report decreases in   their household income to the administering  agency,' it can decrease the tenant's share   of rent and increase the subsidy amount paid. This  way, your tenants can more easily pay their share   and you can continue to receive subsidy  for the remaining amount of rent.
• 11:30 - 12:00 Instructions on how your tenants can report  changes to the appropriate agency are   outlined in the following slides. These are also  available in the eviction prevention brochure,   along with specific contact information.   The documentation and reporting requirements  will depend on the tenant subsidy source. If you have tenants receiving NYCHA Section 8  assistance who are experiencing a loss of income,
• 12:00 - 12:30 they should visit the Self-Service Portal.  Section 8 participants can report a decrease   in household income by completing an Interim  Recertification via the NYCHA Self-Service Portal.   Households without internet access  may submit a request by mail   or call NYCHA's Customer  Contact Center for assistance. If you have tenants receiving HPD Section 8  assistance who are experiencing a decrease   in income, they should fill out the Reporting  Income Decrease form and submit it by email
• 12:30 - 13:00 or fax or upload the form  to HPD's Document Portal.   The Reporting Income Decrease form is  available on HPD's Section 8 Forms webpage.   Households without internet access may  submit forms and documentation by fax   or by mail to HPD Division of Tenant Resources.  Please note that HPD's Office of Client Services   is currently closed to the public. Specific  contact information - including web addresses,
• 13:00 - 13:30 email addresses, and phone numbers - are  listed in the eviction prevention brochure. If you have tenants in the CityFHEPS  program who have experienced income loss,   they should submit a request to modify their  tenant contribution by email to HRA. The form   is available on HRA's CityFHEPS Documentation  webpage. Again, these resources for tenants   receiving rental assistance are outlined in the  eviction prevention brochure mentioned earlier.
• 13:30 - 14:00 If your tenants need help paying their rent and do  not already participate in a rental assistance or   rent freeze program, connecting your tenant with  resources to help with rent or rental arrears is   likely to be more cost effective than commencing  a non-payment proceeding in Housing Court.   The New York City Department of Social Services  / Human Resources Administration has programs   for tenants in need of assistance. Tenants can  apply for cash assistance, which includes ongoing
• 14:00 - 14:30 monthly rent subsidies, and/or one-time emergency  assistance, sometimes called One Shot Deals,   for rent or utility arrears. Tenants can apply for   rental assistance by visiting the ACCESS  NYC website to determine eligibility.   For more information on how to contact ACCESS  NYC, you or your tenants can refer to the City's   Eviction Prevention brochure that is available  at nyc.gov/tenantprotection under "Resources."
• 14:30 - 15:00 Tenants can also apply for rental assistance by  contacting the Homebase homelessness prevention   program by calling 311 and asking for "Homebase,"  or using the online Homebase locator to call   the nearest office. Homebase services can help  tenants develop a personalized plan to overcome   an immediate housing crisis and achieve housing  stability. Tenants may be eligible for home-based   services if they: are at imminent risk of  entering the New York City shelter system,
• 15:00 - 15:30 are low-income, and want to remain stably housed  in their community. The New York City Rent Freeze   Program can help eligible tenants living in rent  regulated and affordable housing freeze their rent   while compensating owners through  a credit to their property taxes.   Tenants can learn more about the Rent Freeze  program by calling 311. Lastly, tenants can learn   more about any of these resources by calling  311 and asking for the "Tenant Helpline,"
• 15:30 - 16:00 or filling out the Mayor's Office to  Protect Tenants "Contact Us" form online. ACCESS NYC is a self-screening tool that  recommends public benefits programs for   your tenants to consider applying to based upon  information they enter about their household.   There are over 30 programs your tenants may be  eligible for - such as SNAP Cash Assistance,   and Medicaid renewal - regardless of immigration  status and even if they're already receiving   benefits or have a job. ACCESS NYC will tell  your tenants how to apply, but it does not
• 16:00 - 16:30 guarantee their applications will be eligible.  Visit ACCESS NYC online at nyc.gov/accesshra   or with the Access HRA smartphone app. W.e  understand that it can be overwhelming for both   you and your tenants to identify the resources for  which your tenants are eligible. For this reason,
• 16:30 - 17:00 you can encourage tenants to reach out to the  following places to better understand resources   available to them based on their particular  situation: (1) the Tenant Helpline - for   general tenant and housing related questions  and direction to the most helpful resources,   (2) the Tenant Resource Portal - an online tool  for helping tenants understand their rights,   and resources available to them when  faced with potential housing instability,   (3) ACCESS NYC for helping tenants find  resources that may be available to them.
• 17:00 - 17:30 The City of New York would like to thank you  for taking the time to complete this training on   eviction prevention. We believe that providing  both owners and tenants with information and   resources is one of the best ways to proactively  reduce and prevent evictions from happening.   Links and contact information for all of  the resources mentioned in this training   are available in the eviction prevention  brochure or online at nyc.gov/tenantprotection.
• 17:30 - 18:00 If your tenants have housing-related questions  or concerns they can call the Tenant Helpline by   calling 311 and asking for the "Tenant Helpline."  Finally, we appreciate your feedback. If you   have found new ways to prevent evictions in  your properties, you can tell us about it by   submitting an electronic form on the Mayor's  Office to Protect Tenants "Contact Us page.