Guidance to Section 8 Participants & Property Owners

March 26, 2020April 2, 2020 LaToya COVID-19, Section 8, Section 8 Participants, Section 8 Property Owners, Self-Service Portal

Dear Section 8 property owners and participants,

NYCHA is continuing to work closely with the NYC Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene and Emergency Management as well as other City, State and Federal partners to monitor the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and adhere to executive orders from Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo. The health and safety of our employees, property owners, and participants remain a priority as we adjust program operations.

For your use and planning, we have included an up-to-date status of Section 8 operations below.

As a reminder, the Owner Extranet and Self-Service Portal will remain available for online submission of requests, documents, and status updates. Due to staffing schedule mandates, there will be delays in processing time for tasks, such as printing and mail functions. To the extent possible, please periodically visit the Self-Service and Owner Portals for updates and printing of any necessary documents.

Please note: Section 8 operations may continue to change. Visit
NYCHA’s website (www.nyc.gov/nycha) for additional information.

Customer Contact Center (CCC) operations will be suspended for Section 8 requests while the City is under a state of emergency.
Walk-in Centers are closed to the public while the City is under a state of emergency.
Annual and Interim Recertifications that result in an increase to the tenant rent share will be processed with an effective date of May 1, 2020 or later. This will prevent the immediate increase to households during this time period.
Applicant eligibility interviews will be performed over the phone.
Informal conferences will be performed over the phone.
Inspections will only be performed for new rental units. All other inspections have been suspended until further notice. NYCHA is requesting a waiver from HUD on conducting reinspections and until such a waiver is received, we must adhere to current policy on suspensions and reinstatements.
Lease renewals and contract rent changes can be submitted online and via email to lrinfo@nycha.nyc.gov.
Rental packages will be accepted via email at s8.rtu@nycha.nyc.gov.
Termination actions have been suspended while the City is under a state of emergency for at least 60 days. This time frame will be evaluated as needed. This includes termination actions related to annual recertification, inspection, and fraud.
Transfer requests are being processed. However, there will be a delay in receiving transfer vouchers in the mail. Please periodically check the Self-Service Portal, where you will be able to print vouchers, if possible.
Mail-in Options for Section 8 participants without internet access:

Annual Review (AOI) Documents	PO Box 19196 Long Island City, NY 11101‐9196
Rental Transfer Documents	PO Box 19199 Long Island City, NY 11101‐9199
Letters or Questions	PO Box 19201 Long Island City, NY 11101‐9201
Portability Documents	PO Box 1631 New York, NY 10008-1631

We are taking these important steps to keep our communities safe. We encourage Section 8 property owners to do the same by sanitizing high frequency and shared areas. If you have not already done so, property owners should modify their routine maintenance procedures to address these areas more frequently.

We will continue to provide you with updates on COVID-19 as they develop.

For more information about COVID-19, visit nyc.gov/coronavirus.

Thank you for your cooperation.