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Correctional Library Services > Connections 2007 > Housing 
HousingEmergency SheltersNew York City's public shelters provide three hot meals a day, beds, showers, delousing, and clothing for men (ages 21 and over) and women (ages 18 and over) in need of emergency shelter. Included are social services, health care assistance, and referral to mental health services. For general information, call the Department of Homeless Services Emergency Information Line at 800.994.6494, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Spanish also spoken. The department is on the web at www.nyc.gov/dhs. Dial 311 to receive directions and other information on the following intake centers: For intake into the shelter system: Women can come 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to one of three intake centers:
Families with Children under 21 or Single Pregnant Women can come 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to E.A.U., 151 East 151st Street (off Walton Avenue), Bronx. Adult Families with No Minor Children can come 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to the Adult Family Intake Center (AFIC), 29th Street and First Avenue, Manhattan. If you need to locate someone in a family shelter, call the shelter inquiry unit Mon.–Fri. 9–5 at 212.361.6395; if you need to locate someone at a shelter for single adults, call the shelter inquiry unit Mon.–Fri. 9–5 at 212.361.0960. Persons with verified AIDS who are in need of emergency housing or other services can call 212 971.0626. Homeless Veterans can call 718.784.5690, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Spanish also spoken. Families at Risk of Becoming Homeless can call the HRA Hotline at 877.472.8411. Spanish, Russian, and Chinese also spoken. If you are Under Age 21 and Homeless, contact Covenant House at 460 West 41st Street in Manhattan. Telephone: 800.999.9999, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. DROP-IN CENTERS In partnership with nonprofit organizations, the NYC Department of Homeless Services sponsors nine Drop-In Centers located throughout the city. Drop-Ins provide hot meals, showers, laundry facilities, clothing, medical care, recreational space, employment referrals, and other social services. Staff can also help you find a safe and secure place to sleep. All of these operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Dial 311 to contact any Drop-In Center, receive directions, or other information. Drop-In Centers are located at:
COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS 129 Fulton Street, Manhattan 10038 A copy of the Coalition for the Homeless Resource Guide can be found in each branch of the New York Public Library in the Community Information Collection. This invaluable resource lists food, shelter, and other services for homeless people, including information on rights and benefits, drop-in centers, legal services, medical and mental health services, services for youth and immigrants, GED programs, and housing. The searchable Guide is available online at the Coalition's website. Click on "Resource Guide." PARTNERSHIP FOR THE HOMELESS 305 7th Avenue, Manhattan 10001 PICTURE THE HOMELESS 2427 Morris Avenue, 2nd Floor, Bronx 10468 CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU Telephone: 718.716.6049 COVENANT HOUSE/UNDER 21 NEW YORK 460 West 41st Street, Manhattan 10036 HOUSING WORKS Intake: 320 West 13th Street, 4th Floor, Manhattan 10007 BAILEY HOUSE 104 East 107th Street, Manhattan 10029 PROJECT RENEWAL 200 Varick Street, 9th Floor, Manhattan 10014 CENTER FOR URBAN COMMUNITY SERVICES 120 Wall Street, 25th Floor, Manhattan 10005 COMMON GROUND COMMUNITY 14 East 28th Street, Manhattan 10016 The Housing Seminar offered by Exodus Transitional Community provides an overview for formerly incarcerated people about housing authority laws that affect them, and provides information about the shelter system. Call 917.492.0990 for more information. METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ON HOUSING Telephone: 212.979.0611 See also the Emergency Assistance section in the chapter on Financial Assistance. Shelters and housing assistance for women are included in the chapter Women. Public HousingTo obtain an application form for Public Housing, apply to the Application Information Section, New York City Housing Authority, at the following borough offices:
Please note: Waiting periods for any public housing are long. Housing AssistanceThe Section 8 Housing Assistance Program helps lower-income families obtain a decent place to live. Under this program, the New York City Housing Authority may make monthly payments to a landlord on behalf of an eligible tenant that will constitute the difference between the rent that the tenant can afford to pay for the apartment and the full rent. Please note that the New York City Housing Authority is no longer accepting Section 8 applications EXCEPT for those in the categories listed below, until further notice:
You may pick up a Section 8 application from any of the borough offices listed above under "PUBLIC HOUSING." The Legal Action Center has published a document, "How to Get Section 8 or Public Housing even with a criminal record: a guide for New York City Housing Authority applicants and their advocates". Access it online at www.hirenetwork.org/publications.html or call 212.243.1313. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) You can also visit the HPD website at www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/home.html and click on "apartment seekers" for a list of frequently asked questions and the HPD's affordable apartment listing. RentalsIt is extremely difficult in most areas of New York City today to find decent housing at an affordable rent. It may require a lot of patience and ingenuity to find what you are looking for. Some suggestions include checking the local newspapers and church and community center bulletin boards, monitoring online bulletin boards such as Craigslist (www.newyork.craigslist.org) and notifying friends and people at work that you're looking for an apartment. If you contract for the help of a real estate agent, be prepared to pay a finder's fee of up to 12 to 18% of a year's rent. Finding a RoommateAnother option in finding living accommodations is sharing an apartment with a roommate. People with apartments wishing to share, as well as people needing apartment space, often advertise in the classified section of the daily papers or on online bulletin boards. There are also commercial agencies that specialize in matching people with roommates. These agencies charge fees, though many charge only the individuals who own the apartments. For a listing of commercial roommate services, check the Village Voice. Be sure never to sign a contract until you are certain exactly what services you will be given. Housing ComplaintsFor complaints about lack of heat and hot water, or a landlord's refusal to make emergency repairs in an apartment or building, call 311 and you will be transferred to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Spanish also spoken. For cases of housing discrimination, see the chapter
on Legal
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