The Children Advantage rental assistance program is designed to help families in shelter with open Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) cases. The Fixed Income Advantage rental assistance program is designed to help families and individuals who are receiving federal benefits such as Social Security disability insurance to leave shelter.

Who is eligible for the program?

Children Advantage assists families identified by ACS for the program.  Only clients who receive an eligibility letter from ACS are able to access this program. Fixed Income Advantage assists families identified by the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) who are receiving a fixed income benefit, such as Social Security due to a disability. Only clients who receive an eligibility letter from HRA are able to access this program.

To be eligible for the rent supplement, a family residing in shelter must:

1. Be identified by ACS or HRA as a candidate for the benefit.
   

   -And-

2. Have resided in the shelter system for a minimum of 60 consecutive days.

Qualified clients will automatically receive an eligibility letter by mail informing them of the maximum rent amount and number of bedrooms for which they are authorized. The rent supplement is based on the family's size and gender composition.

Clients should present this letter of eligibility to landlords and brokers when seeking Children Advantage/Fixed Income Advantage apartments.

Clients who believe they meet the above guidelines by having an open ACS case or receiving fixed income benefits and meeting the minimum shelter stay, should contact their housing specialist or caseworker to request further consideration and possible certification for the program.

CHILDREN ADVANTAGE/FIXED INCOME ADVANTAGE PROGRAM RULES

Children Advantage/Fixed Income Advantage clients are designated as a special needs population.  Because of this designation, Children Advantage/Fixed Income Advantage families are eligible for a Section 8 Housing Program application priority.  Section 8 applications will be forwarded to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) on the clients’ behalf once they move into their Advantage Program apartment.

DHS does not provide emergency priority status for Section 8 to those in shelter. The Children Advantage/Fixed Income Advantage Program is a specific rental subsidy program serving a special needs population.

Acceptance into the Section 8 program cannot be guaranteed.  Certification for Section 8 is determined by NYCHA based on Section 8 qualification guidelines.

Rental Assistance
DHS will pay Children Advantage/Fixed Income Advantage Program landlords a monthly rental payment for up to one year, or until the Program Tenant’s acceptance into the Section 8 Program, whichever comes first.  Payments are not affected by a tenant’s Public Assistance status.

Side Deals
Side-deals are prohibited. Landlords may not charge their Children Advantage/Fixed Income Advantage tenants any amount of money above that written on the lease for the entire one-year period of the lease, regardless of changes in family composition. If asked by a landlord for additional money above the scheduled rental amount for the household composition, the tenant is under no obligation to pay this additional amount and may contact the Quality Assurance office at DHS at 212-607-5310 to report the problem.

Keys and Lease Information
Tenants will receive keys to their apartment from their landlord when the lease is signed. Landlords or brokers may not charge any additional amount of money for keys.

The landlord must provide heat and hot water at his/her own expense. The tenant must pay for all electric, cooking gas, telephone and other services used in the apartment and arrange for them with the public utility companies.