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The latest news and analysis from the NYU Furman Center.
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Data Updates
Rent Payments in Affordable Housing During the Pandemic: The Role of Rental Subsidies and the Safety Net
As members of the Housing Crisis Research Collaborative, the NYU Furman Center and the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley conducted an analysis of rental payments during the pandemic among a set of primarily affordable portfolios and compared the size and frequency of rent arrears for households that receive housing subsidies that adjust with income (like Housing Choice Vouchers) and unsubsidized households. The comparative analysis suggests that nonpayment rates increased for both groups after the start of the pandemic. Landlords with subsidized tenants benefitted from the protective effects of the subsidy portion which lessened the economic impact of the pandemic.
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Data Updates
Exploring Variations in ERAP Application Rates Across New York State
According to the most recent Household Pulse Survey, a quarter of renters in New York State—nearly 1 million individuals—are behind on rent payments and have rental arrears. Of these renters, 38 percent predict that they are somewhat or very likely to be evicted sometime in the next two months. After a slow start in New York relative to states that did not use a legislative process to create new rental assistance programs, recent reports indicate an acceleration of obligations and disbursements of Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds. Landlord outreach and participation remain crucial in turning obligated funds, which are earmarked once a tenant applies and is determined eligible, into payments, which are only made once landlords are aware of and complete their portion of the application.
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Research & Policy
Cracking Code Enforcement: How Cities Approach Housing Standards
In a new policy brief, Cracking Code Enforcement: How Cities Approach Housing Standards, Sophie House of the NYU Furman Center’s Housing Solutions Lab explores how code enforcement and compliance are handled in different jurisdictions. Through analysis of 40 different cities of varying sizes and geography, as well as communication with stakeholder groups in local government, research, and affordable housing provision, the brief explores three different dimensions that shape code enforcement: a regime’s relative emphasis on neighborhood quality or individual tenant protections; use of proactive or reactive enforcement mechanisms; and reliance on collaborative or punitive engagement.
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Research & Policy
Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act: An Initial Analysis of Short-Term Trends
The NYU Furman Center analyzed several housing indicators to gain deeper insight into the initial impacts of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA). We examined measures that have been commonly discussed in the public debate on HSTPA, including a comparison of multifamily sale prices, alteration job filings, housing quality complaints, code violations, and eviction filings before and after the passage of HSTPA.
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Research & Policy
Do Lawyers Matter? Early Evidence on Eviction Patterns After the Rollout of Universal Access to Counsel in New York City
In a special issue of Housing Policy Debate on evictions, Ingrid Gould Ellen, Katherine O’Regan, Sophie House, and Ryan Brenner analyze early findings from the NYC Universal Access to Counsel program (UAC). Considering the multitude of difficulties associated with appearing in court without a lawyer, providing low-income tenants with access to free legal services is thought to decrease the likelihood of eviction and possible homelessness.
