Rent Relief For NYers Gets Overhaul Amid Schumer Criticism

NEW YORK CITY — A wave of criticism over more than $2 billion in rent relief that failed to reach hard-hit New York tenants appears to have shaken Gov. Andrew Cuomo into action.

Cuomo announced Monday that a new, "streamlined" application process will quickly disburse the long-delayed payments.

Left unsaid in a governor's office release was the shift followed days of mounting criticism from advocates and lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Schumer held a rally in Hell's Kitchen on Sunday to decry that $2.3 billion in federal aid for rent relief still hadn't reached tenants. He asked the state's Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to get the assistance out before an eviction moratorium ends Aug. 31.

“Thousands and thousands of New York tenants could be deprived of critical rent relief checks if the state doesn’t move more quickly on getting this money out,” Schumer said in a statement. “Today, I am formally asking ODTA to move heaven and earth to fix the mess, pick up the pace and get this federal money out the door before it’s too late for tenants and landlords. The message today is: tenant relief now. No more delay.”

Rent relief became a pressing issue during the coronavirus pandemic, as droves of New York City dwellers lost jobs or wages and couldn't pay their rent.

Cuomo in May announced the rent relief — $2.7 billion in total, between federal and state funds — would be open on a "first-come, first-serve" basis. But it eventually became clear that only a handful of New Yorkers received the aid — only $120,000 has gone out so far, the New York Daily News reported.

Following the criticism, Cuomo said he'd immediately relax documentation standards for both tenants and landlords and set up a streamlined process for submission of arrears documentation for multi-tenant landlords that starts Tuesday. All eligible claims out of 150,000 applicants will be identified by Aug. 7, according to his office.

"The $2.7 billion Rental Assistance Program is already providing funding to some of our most vulnerable residents who were prioritized during the first 30 days of the application process, and now we must focus on delivering funds to the remaining applicants," Cuomo said in a statement.
To streamline this process, I've directed OTDA to work with their vendor to disburse payments as quickly and efficiently as possible we can deliver billions of dollars in rental assistance to New Yorkers who have been struggling to pay rent due to no fault of their own."

Cuomo has been dogged by scandal for months, from his administration's handling over nursing home deaths during the pandemic to accusations of sexual harassment. During a news conference Monday, he questioned the independence of investigators who are running state Attorney General Tish James' probe into the sexual harassment accusations.

Schumer, who has distanced himself from Cuomo, tweeted Monday he appreciated the urgency on rent relief.

"It's critical the money gets into their hands ASAP," he tweeted.