In Major Win for Housing Coalition, Governor Hochul Agrees to Fund Housing Access Voucher Program
Despite the $200 million shortfall, housing advocates have secured a major win as Governor Hochul allocates $50 million in funding for the Housing Access Voucher Program. The four year pilot program expands voucher access to New Yorkers with former felony convictions, long-term undocumented immigrants, and New Yorkers without any income, who are all excluded from other voucher programs.
On Tuesday, April 29, Governor Kathy Hochul pledged to allocate $50 million in funding for the Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP). The HAVP bill was championed by the Housing Justice for All coalition, and sponsored by state Senator Brian Kavanagh and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal. Next100 Policy Entrepreneur Rudrani Ghosh joined the Housing Justice for All coalition, and supported the campaign that convinced the governor to fund the program.
HAVP is designed to expand housing vouchers to various populations, including people with former felony convictions, long-term undocumented immigrants, and New Yorkers without any income—none of whom currently qualify for housing assistance. Given the trends of systemic and social discrimination against both formerly incarcerated individuals and undocumented individuals, the bill’s provisions are especially important as an equalizer. Additionally, HAVP is designed to prevent homelessness by allowing housing assistance to be used preventatively when tenants are at risk of eviction. Notably, the bill’s initiative is supported by both tenant advocates and real estate entities.
Lawmakers championing the bill initially targeted $250 million in funding for the program, but settled for the $50 million amount proposed by Governor Hochul, amidst budget deliberations. HAVP will be piloted for four years between March 1, 2026 and May 1, 2030, with administration from the Department of Housing and Community Renewal, the New York City Housing Authority, and the New York City Department of Housing and Development. Senator Kavanaugh and Assemblymember Rosenthal stated that they expected the $50 million to be allocated for the first year of the pilot, and for additional funding to be made available in subsequent years.
While this funding for HAVP is a promising first step, New York is still far from resolving its housing crisis. In the last ten years, the state has added only 400,000 new homes, despite adding more than 1.2 million new jobs. In New York City, rent prices have gone up by 30 percent in the last decade, while rent outside of the city has risen between 40 and 60 percent. With rising costs of living in New York City and across the state, and with a pressing housing shortage, the need for better funding for eviction prevention and housing assistance is greater than ever.
Read the bill’s text here.