A single missing screw can delay a move out of NYC shelter by weeks

A Brooklyn apartment failed its third housing inspection this week because a metal window bracket held by one screw instead of two. The unit, which also required a smoke detector relocation and a grounded electrical outlet, remains unavailable to the family waiting for it. Roxy Shweky, a housing specialist for the nonprofit Anthos Home, identified the missing hardware during the tour. The landlord must fix the bracket before the city will issue the final approval that allows the tenant to use their voucher.

Such minor defects are common in the city’s CityFHEPS program, which assists over 74,000 households. Housing advocates argue that the administrative burden traps families in shelters longer than necessary. Chris Mann, vice president of public policy for WIN, a large shelter provider, stated that the complexity of the process is avoidable. He noted that every additional day a family spends in shelter is a day too long for their household.

The Mamdani administration has attempted to streamline the system. Nicholas Jacobelli, a spokesperson for the Department of Social Services, said the city has reduced the rate of returned applications from 94% to 58%. The average time to approve or deny an application has also fallen from 28 days to 24 days. However, once a voucher is issued, the move-in process is slow. Officials report an average of 236 days for a family to actually enter a unit. This delay is partly due to a low vacancy rate, with only 1.4% of apartments currently empty.

A new rent review process introduced in April aimed to save $500 million by preventing overpayment to landlords. Jade Vasquez, director of policy at WIN, said this initiative extended the review period from two days to an average of 53 days. The city moved the review to after move-in for rent-stabilized units in September, but market-rate units still face delays. Vasquez described the current fix as only a partial solution.

Paperwork errors also cause setbacks. A single typo on a form, such as listing an apartment number incorrectly, can result in a full rejection and the need to resubmit up to 100 pages of documents. Mario Vega, program director at Anthos Home, noted that a monthly income fluctuation of more than $125 requires applicants to submit new pay stubs. For hourly workers, a change in shifts can trigger this lengthy recalculation process.

Kelvin Wallace, 65, spent 11 months in shelter before securing an apartment. He worked with three different case managers during that period, which required him to resubmit his application multiple times. He was eventually referred to Anthos Home, where staff helped him secure housing in four months. Wallace described the process as frustrating, stating that the system reset each time a case manager changed. About 14,200 people are currently in shelter and eligible for vouchers.

City Council members have introduced bills to mandate that officials approve or deny applications within 15 days. The city currently averages 24 days for this decision. Commissioners like Erin Dalton say the agency must balance speed with safety, ensuring that subsidized units meet strict standards, such as water temperatures between 120F and 128F. A fast-track inspection pilot will expand next year to address some of these bottlenecks.