Landlords of thousands of apartments throughout the city are getting stiffed on their summer rent – and their tenants are not to blame.
A budget shortfall has forced the federal government to stop cutting checks covering housing subsidies for the poor and elderly, leaving landlords in the lurch and their tenants in serious trouble.
It’s not clear how long the delays will last, but for weeks, property owners have been waiting in vain for “Section 8” checks from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Landlords use the money to pay for mortgages, insurance, utilities, repairs and maintenance in buildings where elderly and low-income residents get a federally subsidized break on their rent.
Officials are worried the delays will push property owners out of the program, and the people who rely on the program out into the street.
“It’s unconscionable that HUD would be so haphazard in its operations to jeopardize the living conditions of thousands of New York’s most vulnerable residents,” said Sen. Charles Schumer.
A HUD spokesman could not be reached for comment.
The funding fiasco hit 96 buildings covering 7,004 Section 8 units, Schumer said.
He claimed HUD might be able to use money from a new appropriations bill to pay the landlords, but he had no idea how long that would take.