Mayor Bill De Blasio
Aug. 21, 2019 By Allie Griffin
The city has lowered the requirements necessary to enter its affordable housing lotteries, lessening barriers that discourage undocumented immigrants from applying.
Starting later today, applicants will no longer need a Social Security number or tax ID number for each adult member of the household to be considered for the lottery, as NY1 first reported.
While undocumented immigrants could already apply to the lotteries, they previously had to submit an individual tax identification number called a TIN. Undocumented immigrants need to apply to the federal government for a TIN, but many don’t have one.
The requirement for each adult family member of a household to submit a Social Security or TIN number to apply is viewed by the administration as a barrier to many undocumented immigrants.
“These new changes are a step towards promoting greater racial equity in our housing market and greater access to affordable housing, regardless of immigration status,” said Bitta Mostofi, Commissioner for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “By eliminating requirements that unnecessarily and disproportionately impact working class immigrant families and people of color, HPD continues to show our City’s commitment to racial and immigrant justice.”
The new changes also allow applicants to wave a landlord-initiated credit check. Instead applicants can show proof that they have paid past rent on time for a year.
“For too long, families without access to credit have faced barriers to the affordable housing they need,” de Blasio said. “By allowing New Yorkers to submit rental history instead of credit checks, we are creating a fairer system for all New Yorkers.”
The new policies reduce the chance of a tenant denied on the basis of poor credit, according to the mayor’s administration. In addition, the city has increased the number of household occupants permitted per unit.
Ana Nuñez, a housing ambassador who works for the nonprofit Churches United For Fair Housing which helps people apply for the lotteries praised the city’s decision on NY1. She said now many more of her clients can apply.
“It completely opens the floodgates,” Nuñez said. “So now this is a truly, truly a sanctuary city.”
In April, the odds of winning an affordable housing lottery were one in 600. With the deletion of the Social Security or TIN requirement, this number is likely to go up.
Queens has the highest number of undocumented immigrants in the city at 184,000 and about 477,000 undocumented immigrants live in all five boroughs, according to the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs 2018 report.
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50 Comments
1. Said Mexico would make a “one-time payment” for The Great Wall. That was a lie.
2. Trump Shutdown, longest in history, to get taxpayers to pay for it. That failed.
3. Begged democrats for money. That failed.
Why doesn’t he care about border security?
i moved to queens in 1992, when Guiliani took over crime dropped instanly, no more drug deals on my block, the hooker in front of rite aid, gone.
Thanks Guiliani
Having such a public figure proudly identifying and dressing as a woman was a courageous choice.
Bill de Blowsio is the biggest clown this city has ever seen.
De Blasio is pro criminal and pro illegal immigrants. We need to vote for Democrats that will focus on the middle class, blue collar & union workers.
There are plenty of NYer’s that approve of his job as mayor and would vote for him again. Most of his disapproval comes from old white racists that do not like how he is helping minorities and the poor and do not like his family. The majority of people that I speak to throughput NYC believe in helping undocumented immigrants.
I call BS. I am 100% Colombian, life long Democrat and think De Blasio is garbage. Stop trying to use the race card to support this mayor. He has done nothing for Latinos.
This mayor is racist toward the Asian citizens.
He is racist towards anyone who is not his two kids and wife. He race baited white people’s white guilt by showing his son’s afro more than himself in his first campaign commercials. Just because you have a cool, bi-racial kid does not make u cool
Yes, most New Yorkers want to help undocumented residents as well, but not at the expense of legal residents. Natural born and naturalized citizens must come first. There is a limit to the generosity.
A lot of undocumented immigrants ironically ARE middle class, blue collar, union workers. Haha.
How do they get union jobs? How do they get Social Security numbers to pay taxes like everyone says they do . Such a joke. So many Americans still out of work.
The absolute worst mayor of NYC!
We have a record high of over 60,000 homeless people in our city and this idiot is talking about helping illegals immigrants. WTF man!
We should be reducing or eliminating local and city government.
A tear wells in my eye with these comments. I thought I was alone.
I love my Astoria brothers and sisters.
How about lowering the prices for those damn lotteries that extremely hard to get in.
I came to this country legally. I was a legal immigrant .Started from the very bottom and had nothing. Learned the language and worked my butt off. Paid taxes and assimilated into the country. I became a naturalized citizen and a contributing member of society. Did not have to use aid for food and housing luckily because of good health and willingness to go after the “dream”, not waiting for handouts. This country was the best thing that happened to me since coming from nothing. With that said, I think the media is not making a clear distinction between legal and illegal immigrants, legal and illegal entry into the states. This seems like it’s done on purpose to blur the meaning of immigration. Illegal immigration, illegal entry is undocumented entry. Shame on Deblasio for supporting this. It is dangerous, there needs to be a record of who comes in. Seems like as long as they get the votes (documented or not) it doesn’t matter they just need more votes.
If you are against “immigration” ,This type of thinking is being labeled as racist and unmoral so people shy away and are more compliant. They even throw the women and children in the headlines and front pages making sure you see them without shoes and being separated. These are humanitarian issues indeed and need to be delt with properly. What they don’t show you is all the able bodied men coming over with new sneakers, cell phones etc. They have it better than I did yet they don’t come through with the proper paperwork. Who is to say who is who? Very bad situation in this day in age. They need to make a clear distinction of the type of immigration that is the issue and let the ones that do it properly continue to.
I’d like to point out that many people are against immigrants like you and me. Immigrants that had nothing. Because when you come over with nothing you do need extra help to finally stand on your own to feet. We should also be asking, as the richest country in the world, and as human beings, why there are people so desperate they’ll risk their children’s live to come here.
Just because the U.S. is the richest country in the world, doesn’t mean we have to help everyone. What gets lost in this conversation is, the responsibility of the countries from where these people come from. Rise up and protest for better conditions. Get the corrupt politicians out of power. Most of these people could have gotten asylum in a country closer to where they came from, but they choose to come here, because everything free in America. So in the end they don’t want asylum. I don’t feel sorry for them.
Where did you come from and when?
I’m a born American can’t get housing. I’m a senior. Got turn Dow 3 times. Becuz I’m making to much or to little. Take care of your own first
How much are you willing to pay?
Clarice-Born American? You need learn to write English. This is part of your problem,
What does it matter how she said it , the message was clear
The current administration is blatantly disregarding decades of immig action regulations. You neighbor benefitted from those very policies years ago. What you are saying is just not possible. Unless you come from a white English speaking country, it is now basically impossible to come here a documented. It is also undeniable that those in the news these days are being denied basic rights of asylum. Why? Solely because of the color of their skin and ancestry.
Jenastoriat you are either a liar or Il-informed. Please STOP watching CNN the current administration is following The Constitution / The Law. They are following the Law REGARDLESS of skin color.
White English speaking people do not have an advantage to come to the U.S. The illegals coming here who want asylum are going about it the wrong way. Sneaking into this country will only get you deported. You can’t claim asylum because you come from a poor country or there is violence. We have poor people and violence here. The U.S. needs highly skilled immigrants and most of them are from Asia, and they are not white.
Send in the military and arrest all sanctuary city traitors!! starting with Cuoma and Diblasio!
You need a warrant to arrest someone and you don’t send the military to arrest civilians for federal crimes which this is not .
Can’t wait until De Blasio is done with office. He has ruined our city – everything that Bloomberg and Giuliani had done and accomplished, for the most part, is wasted .
Cite 12 things De Blasio ruined that Giuliani/Bloomberg had done please
Here you go …..so STFU
1. More homelessness, which is at a record high, on the street.
2.There are more new homeless shelters in neighborhoods that used to be decent middle class.
3. He wants to create satellite prisons – hopefully next to you.
4. The NYPD conducts fewer stop-and-frisks.
5. Does not have respect for NYPD!!!
6. Does not get respect from NYPD or any city agency.
7. Carrying a small amount of weed will probably result in a ticket, not an arrest. (Not that I mind this 🙂 )
8. He is constantly late, which is not a good example of a “leader”.
9. He does not have to reimburse taxpayers when he makes personal or political trips with his security detail at the wheel.
10. More REAL New Yorkers now think the city is headed in the wrong direction.
11. Allowed UNDOCUMENTED immigrants who do not have government-issued IDs obtain New York municipal identification cards. As someone else said here, along with my parents, “Started from the very bottom and had nothing. Learned the language and worked their asses off”. They became naturalized citizens and paid their taxes
12. And as this article headlines – “Lowers Requirements to Enter Affordable Housing Lottery, To Benefit UNDOCUMENTED Immigrants”.
What about our own citizens born here or DOCUMENTED citizens who may being having a rough time. Whats he doing for them???
You accurately state that there’s a record high number of homeless, but then complain about the mayor opening more homeless shelters!? What the hell is wrong with you?
3/4 of the homeless in New York are families. And whining about shelters in your “middle class neighborhood.” What a priveleged little baby! You want to live in this city, then you have to do your part.
Your Astoria left a long time ago. You should have too.
This article was about immigrants. I was asked to point out 12 things that De Blasio ruined – and I did. You don’t agree with one point and you attack?? You Must be the same Midwest trust fund baby troll that attacks people when you don’t agree. Most of us real Astoriaians would agree that it is sad that “old” Astoria has changed because of liberals like you.
What a inciting comeback. I miss the old Astoria too –
Our homeless shelters are cesspools of crime that are mismanaged by the city and it is why we have so many honeless in the streets and subways. There is no point in opening shelters if they are so dangerous people refuse to stay in them…so they move underground. 100% diblasio’s fault…no one else’s. Cuomo controls the MTA but he does not control the streets above ground.
We didn’t ask for illegal aliens to come into our neighborhoods, they show up and we have to live with it. They don’t belong here. Deport them all.
Well Said
Awww, look at the little milquetoast SJW’s from other states making themselves feel good after watching CNN. Never Left Astoria’s list is spot on, use your head little SJW’s, DeBlasio is a nightmare. NYC is no longer the center of the world, it’s bedcoming too congested with bike lanes and homeless shelters. It’s gross and no charm like it used to.
Bloomberg is an Evil Twit. – He didn’t even send anyone to the arbitration hearing with the MTA. Now they have parody with Fire and PD. MTA is broke now. and Fare UP.
Giulani brought LAW and ORDER to NYC after loser, Father Cuomo [Tappan Zee Bridge] and Let Em Vent Dinkins.
DE Blasio is wrecking NYC schools , streets are filthy and rat infested. Laws were reduced to Misdemeanors or nothing at all mostly to protect Illegals from deportation. It’s not even a slap on the wrist to run someone over. Unless the victim is riding a bike. He hired Coranza [?] to head the Bd of Ed, his parents jumped the border from Mexico, he entered school not knowing English. Now you know why the further decline of the education system in NYC.
Lol
Giuliani is a nut case LOL Bloomberg was great. DiBlasio is meh but implying he dismantled anything is pretty nutty. Also do you even remember the people that ran against him?? LOL it’s not his fault it was no contest.
Honestly – I think some chemical imbalance happened to Giuliani went he left the mayors office – but he was a great mayor – cleaned up a lot (i.e. – 42nd street) and made the city streets safer. At least we agree that Bloomberg was great – wish he would/had a chance to run as president.
I do remember who ran against DiBlasio, Nicole Malliotakis, a republican, who I voted for in the general election as a registered democrat because I saw the disaster coming after his 1st term.
Giuliani fought against organized crime, reduced the city’s crime rate after the disaster that Dinkins was, cleaned up the streets and the homeless crisis and got us back to life after 9/11. I’ll bet that most you commenting in favor of De Blasio did not live in NY pre 9/11.
NONE of these leftst traitors to the DNC lived in NYC pre-diblasio. Only a feeble minded SJW new to NYC would ever argue this mayor is decent. I truly hope Diblasio dies. The entire country would be better off with him and Trump sharing a cremation appointment. Total opposites yet so sinilar in how awful and ammoral they both are.
DEBLASIO CITY!!!
We need less poor minorities in my city.
You’re thinking of Giuliani…
Agreed..People should be required to have a masters degree to live in NYC.
Oh right, because of comments like these.