As Norwood continues its building boom of affordable housing, with more projects under way, securing a unit could improve for applicants placed on so-called “landlord blacklists” following changes in the City’s affordable housing lottery and screening processes.

With affordable housing often cut off to New Yorkers who may carry a poor credit score or had once sued their landlord, the new rules mandate landlords and developers disregard those considerations when renting a City-subsidized affordable housing apartment. The revised rules came after City officials solicited feedback over the fairness the housing lottery, a selection process that merely qualifies an applicant to formally apply for a unit and does not guarantee housing.

It seems to make sense to change these rules, according to John Reilly, executive director of Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation, which develops and manages affordable residences across the Bronx. Among the more pragmatic changes is placing less value on credit scores, which could be ruined just by paying a bill late, said Reilly.

“We’ve heard of people who couldn’t find enough tenants out of the lottery to fill the units, but they were turning people down because they had a cell phone bill that hadn’t been paid,” Reilly said. “You’re never going to find enough people then. I mean, you’re really trying to look for a record, not an incident.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio, carrying on with his long-term agenda of equitable housing, said the changes, published in its revised Marketing Handbook for affordable housing developers, encourage a more “level playing field.” The New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD), taking the lead in carrying out de Blasio’s Housing New York affordable housing plan, will enforce the new rules found in the handbook. The housing initiative is expected to see 200,000 new or refurbished affordable apartments by 2024. Estimates released in July by the de Blasio administration shows the City has built or preserved some 52,936 units under the plan, with 3,500 units earmarked for those earning a $24,000 salary or below.

Some changes include placing less emphasis on an applicant’s credit score, prioritizing victims of domestic violence forced into the shelter system, and increasing transparency should an applicant appeal their denial. Interviews will even come with interpretation services. Others include in the words of the Mayor’s Office:

• Accounting for the special challenges residents of homeless shelters face in meeting eligibility criteria, including victims of domestic violence, to improve the chances that households will be placed in permanent housing.

• Clarifying how developers calculate income of applicants receiving government benefits, for example those receiving GI Bill or Section 8 benefits, to ensure consistency and forestall discrimination.

• Tightening guidelines to ensure those who qualify for affordable housing will use their new home as their primary residence.

• Requiring that interview locations be accessible and clearly marked, and that interviewers provide interpretation services, including American Sign Language.

• Ensuring developers’ outreach and advertising efforts include diverse communities citywide.

• Revising interview standards to ensure more privacy and security of personal information.

• Prohibiting home visits, which are too subjective to be fair.

The City is already making prospective developers aware of the changes well in advance of securing financing from the Housing Development Corporation (HDC). Seven months before construction on an affordable building wraps up, each developer must submit an HPD/HDC-approved marketing plan that reflects the new rules.

So far, three affordable housing projects are under way—Norwood Gardens at the corner of Webster Avenue and East 203rd by private developer The Stagg Group; an affordable/supportive housing model at the corner of Webster Avenue and East 204th Street by nonprofit developer The Doe Fund; and the third by the Azimuth Development Corp at 3160 Webster Ave. Of the three, The Stagg Group would have to comply with the rules since its project is partially bankrolled by the City.

Recently, Dunn Development filed plans to build a 72-unit affordable housing building at 3211 Parkside Pl.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.