RESOLUTION
BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT COLLINS-BELLAMY, MAJORITY LEADER RUBBO, MAJORITY WHIP ROBINSON, MINORITY LEADER BREEN, COUNCILMEMBERS, PINEDA -ISAAC, DIAZ AND MERANTE:
title
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL URGING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, THE UNITED STATES SENATE, AND THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO CONTINUE AND INCREASE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE SECTION 8 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (HCV) PROGRAM, GIVEN THE EXISTING UNPARALLELED NEED FOR HOUSING SUPPORT COUPLED WITH RECORD HOMELESSNESS
body
WHEREAS, homelessness in New York State has grown sharply, according to a report issued in January, 2025, by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, increasing by 53.1 percent from January 2023 to January 2024 alone; and
WHEREAS, according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), in 2024 there were more than 158,000 homeless New Yorkers, with the number of homeless children increasing from 20,299 to 50,773 in 2024, that is, to almost 1 in 3 children in New York State; and
WHEREAS, homelessness has also affected the City of Yonkers, where, according to the New York State Continuum of Care, there were 1,611 homeless people in Yonkers, Mt. Vernon and Westchester County in 2024, with homelessness in the region increasing between 2022 and 2024 by 19 percent, homeless children under the age of 18 increasing by 17 percent, and homelessness among people living in families increasing by 22 percent; and
WHEREAS, for those in the City of Yonkers who have avoided homelessness and are living in rental housing, rental stress presents a significant issue, with rising rents, potential evictions and the impact of economic hardships; and
WHEREAS, according to HUD, a household is considered rent-burdened when its rent exceeds 30 percent of its monthly income; and
WHEREAS, in the City of Yonkers, with the greatest number of Westchester County’s rent-stabilized units, renters comprise 53 percent of households, 51 percent of which are cost-burdened; and
WHEREAS, housing assistance can help overcome these challenges, by furnishing the resources necessary to both retain housing (for people to remain in place) and address homelessness, and by subsidizing existing housing and providing the ability to pay rent; and
WHEREAS, created by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1978, the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, also known as “Section 8”, seeks to increase housing options and stability by providing assistance for persons who cannot afford to pay market-rate rents, including eligible low- and moderate-income families, elderly persons, veterans, and disabled individuals to rent housing in the private market; and
WHEREAS, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Federal rental assistance programs help roughly 10 million people afford housing, with about 2.3 million out of 5.2 million people receiving rental assistance during 2022 by way of Section 8 vouchers and 68 percent of such assistance benefiting seniors, people in families with children, and individuals with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, HUD provides HCV grants to local Public Housing Authorities (“PHAs”), which in turn make housing assistance payments on behalf of the households, and, whether voucher- or project-based, all subsidized units must meet mandated housing quality standards (HQS), thus ensuring that the family has a healthy and safe place to live; and
WHEREAS, there are approximately 2,000 local PHAs across the United States that administer the HCV program with funding from HUD and 17 Section 8 program offices in Westchester County, with The Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers (“MHACY”) being the largest provider of affordable housing in the City of Yonkers and the second largest PHA in New York State; and
WHEREAS, under the HCV program administered by MHACY, more than 2,700 apartments are leased by program participants (selected from the MHACY waiting list) in units owned by over 800 private landlords; and
WHEREAS, underscoring the desperate need for affordable housing in Yonkers specifically (and Westchester generally), in July 2022, for the first time in 10 years, MHACY opened its waiting list for Section 8 vouchers and approximately 15,000 families applied for 3,000 spots on that list; and
WHEREAS, despite this immediate and continuing critical need, the Trump administration is proposing 40 percent cuts to Federal housing assistance programs, including the Section 8 voucher system, to be replaced by a smaller system of state-run housing grants, and to impose a two-year cap on rental assistance for able-bodies adults, all of which could leave millions of low-income families without rental support; and
WHEREAS, this proposed action comes as nearly half of all renters are considered cost-burdened and homelessness is now at a record high, making the need for the existing HCV program and the housing support that it provides greater than ever.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this legislative body hereby supports the existing Housing and Community Development Act of 1978, the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, also known as Section 8, and its operations to create housing options and provide stability for persons who cannot afford market-rate rents, including for the benefit of eligible low- and moderate-income families, elderly persons, veterans and disabled individuals; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that given the unparallelled need for the HCV program and the housing support that it provides, the City Council urges the Trump administration and members of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives to both continue and increase support (including financial support) for the HVC program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council hereby directs the City Clerk to send a copy of this resolution to Hon. Donald J. Trump (President), Hon. J.D. Vance (Vice President), Hon. Chuck Grassley (President Pro Tempore), Hon. John Thune (Senate Majority Leader), Hon. John Barrasso (Majority Whip), Hon. Charles E. Schumer (Democratic Leader), Hon. Richard J. Durbin (Democratic Whip), Hon. Kirsten Gillibrand (United States Senator), Hon, Michael Johnson (Speaker of the House), Hon. Steve Scalise (House Majority Leader), Hon. Tom Emmer (House Majority Whip), Hon. Hakeem Jeffries (Democratic Leader), Hon. Katherine Clark (Democratic Whip), and Hon. George Latimer (United States Congressman), for review and consideration; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution shall take effect immediately.