The CityFHEPS housing voucher program in New York City, initiated in 2019, has become financially unmanageable, with costs ballooning to $1.1 billion for fiscal year 2025. The Citizens Budget Commission's report criticizes the program's effectiveness in aiding low-income residents amidst a housing affordability crisis. Despite attempts to expand the program, a legal battle is ongoing between the City Council, Legal Aid Society, and the Adams administration. The growing financial burden raises concerns about the viability of using vouchers as a solution to homelessness and housing stability.
CityFHEPS started out in 2019 as a consolidated version of several city-funded rental subsidy programs designed to reduce the homeless shelter population.
The Citizens Budget Commission states that CityFHEPS is proving that City Hall cannot voucher its way out of the affordability crisis gripping the city.
The Council approved the expansion in 2023, overriding a veto from Mayor Eric Adams, who said the costs to expand CityFHEPS were too great.
Six years later, CityFHEPS' cost has exponentially ballooned to $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2025, more than double the cost of the program.
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