Resolution calling on the New York City Housing Authority to cap the transfer process for victims of domestic violence with an order of protection to 90 days.

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Res. No. 666 ..Title Resolution calling on the New York City Housing Authority to cap the transfer process for victims of domestic violence with an order of protection to 90 days. ..Body By Council Member Kagan Whereas, The New York State Department of Health defines domestic violence as a pattern of behavior used by an individual to establish and maintain power and control over their intimate partner, and can include abusive tactics, threats, and actions; and Whereas, According to the Coalition for the Homeless, one of the main causes for homelessness is domestic violence; and Whereas, The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) provides affordable housing to vulnerable populations such as low income residents and individuals who have experienced domestic violence; and Whereas, NYCHA is a public housing authority with 277 developments and 162,143 public housing units in its conventional public housing program; and Whereas, As of February 28, 2022, there were 254,827 families on the NYCHA waiting list for a public housing unit; and Whereas, NYCHA has adopted a priority system to rank applicants and provide shorter wait periods for housing to certain groups based on the applicant's need, including people who have experienced domestic violence; and Whereas, NYCHA also has an Emergency Transfer Program for tenants who are domestic violence survivors, intimidated witnesses, intimidated victim or a victim of a traumatic incident but NYCHA cannot guarantee that an emergency transfer request will be approved or how long it will take to process an emergency request; and Whereas, At a New York City Council hearing on March 13, 2023, NYCHA reported that there were over 1,770 residents waiting for a domestic violence-related emergency transfer, making up approximately three-fourths of all of NYCHA's emergency transfer requests; and Whereas, There is currently no cap on the number of days a domestic violence survivor has to wait for a unit to become available; and Whereas, Some survivors of domestic violence wait several months or, in some cases, years in order to transfer to another NYCHA apartment; and Whereas, This delay creates a risk for the safety and well-being of people who have experienced domestic violence and subjects them to unnecessary danger; and Whereas, Capping the transfer process to 90 days for residents who have experienced domestic violence and have an order of protection would help ensure their safety and well-being; and Whereas, Prioritizing the relocation of applicants who have experienced domestic violence would help mitigate risks and create a safer living environment; now, therefore be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York City Housing Authority to cap the transfer process for victims of domestic violence with an order of protection to 90 days. JLC 5/24/2023 LS 13017

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