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City Plan Would Charge Rent to Homeless People With Jobs

By DNAinfo Staff on April 14, 2010 12:25pm  | Updated on April 14, 2010 12:04pm

A city plan would charge homeless New Yorkers rent to stay in shelters.
A city plan would charge homeless New Yorkers rent to stay in shelters.
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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

By Mariel S. Clark

DNAinfo News Editor

MANHATTAN — The city unveiled a new two-part plan that would push homeless New Yorkers to get jobs to qualify for rent subsidies as well as pay rent in shelters if they're already employed, city officials announced Tuesday, according to several reports.

At least one member of the thousands of families that receive rent subsidies would have to be employed before getting the vouchers, according to the Bloomberg administration's plan, the New York Times reported.

In recent years, the city has given more than 18,000 homeless families vouchers leading to sharply discounted rents, some paid $50 a month for as long as two years, according to the Times.

The new change, requiring a member to be employed to receive the vouchers, would mean families would pay a third of their income for rent during the subsidy's first year and half the second, according to the paper.

The second proposal would require employed homeless to pay rent during a stay in city shelters.

Under the plan, homeless New Yorkers would have to pay as much as 44 percent of their earnings to shelters, the Daily News reported.

Opponents of both plans said they penalize those who need the most help and only lead to longer stays in shelters, according to reports. Many politicians have said they want to stop the state from charging homeless shelter renters.

The state covers half the cost of the subsidy program and would have to approve the proposal, the Times reported.