Due to a Section 8 recertification snafu!
Several NYCHA developments believed that many of their tenants hadn’t recertified household details and income correctly for the year. However, a red flag to the validity of these claims appeared in the form of the Section 8 termination rate. It zoomed to 2,000%, from 42 in 2024 to 836 in 2025, as determined by Legal Aid Society data.
The circumstances of the error are yet to be made clear, but an article by Greg B. Smith for The City Reporter published on June 30, 2026 mentioned a scanning error. The article quoted Andrew Sklar, deputy press secretary for NYCHA, “NYCHA has met with legal and advocacy groups to discuss a scanning backlog issue the Authority experienced which resulted in erroneous termination warning letters being sent to some households. This scanning backlog has since been resolved and we are committed to improving our systems and processes as well as our communication with residents regarding their legal obligations.”
During this time, 44 tenants from Williamsburg Houses went to seek assistance from St. Nicks Alliance for after received notification that their Section 8 assistance had been terminated.
St. Nicks Alliance’s community preservation team worked with NYC Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez’s office, specifically Juan Mayancela, the director of community organizing. He connected St. Nicks Alliance to Lawrence Dutton, legislative coordinator with the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs in NYCHA. Dutton advised on uploading the restoration applications and all the required supporting documentation directly to the NYCHA system.
At present, St. Nicks Alliance has helped restore Section 8 subsidies to eighteen of the 44 tenants.
However, large rental arrears are the next obstacle.
“Although the subsidies are being reinstated, NYCHA has not been backdating the restoration approvals, leaving the residents responsible for the months they were without subsidy,” said Yadhira Deras of St. Nicks Alliance. “We are working closely with those residents to prevent evictions by assisting residents with One Shot Deal applications. Juan continues to advocate with NYCHA to determine whether the subsidy restorations can be adjusted so that residents are not held responsible for the subsidy portion of the rent that accrued during the period their benefits were terminated.”
The Greenline 