Gothamist, David Brand, Feb 25, 2026

Even New York City’s affordable housing is getting too expensive for many low-income tenants, leading to a spike in eviction filings, a new report finds.

An analysis from the policy group New York Housing Conference shows owners of government-subsidized, or “affordable,” housing filed more than a third of city’s roughly 120,000 eviction lawsuits in 2024 — often as a way to pressure tenants into paying back rent or to compel the city to intervene with aid. Rents for the apartments are capped for low- and middle-income tenants in exchange for property tax breaks, low-interest financing or other funding,

The vast majority of the 43,000 eviction filings were for nonpayment of rent — a growing problem spurred by early pandemic job losses, wage decreases and rising costs that many low-income renters have struggled to recover from, the report authors said.

New York Housing Conference Executive Director Rachel Fee urged the state to increase rental assistance. The organization has also proposed the creation of a new diversion court to speed up the distribution of emergency aid for tenants facing eviction. Fee said it could reach resolutions, set up payment plans and issue funding to cover arrears more quickly to keep tenants in place and buildings financially stable. She called on state lawmakers to set aside about $17 million in New York’s next budget to establish the program.

“It’s a better outcome for the tenant, the landlord and, potentially, savings for the city of New York,” Fee said. “We really need to be thinking about comprehensive policy solutions here to make sure that once a family gets into affordable housing, they can stay there and get the support they need.”

The recommendation to speed up one-time aid comes as state lawmakers have shown a reluctance to expand ongoing rental assistance for New Yorkers in need. Last year’s state budget included a modest $50 million to establish a new Housing Access Voucher Program. The city’s own rental assistance program, known as CityFHEPS, costs more than $1 billion a year and helps more than 60,000 households. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has declined to expand the program to cover even more low-income tenants due to its increasingly expensive price tag.

Read More: Gothamist