The FHEPS application is filed through New York City’s Human Resources Administration by families with children who receive Cash Assistance and face eviction, have lost housing to domestic violence, were displaced by unsafe conditions, or currently live in a DHS or HRA shelter.1Human Resources Administration. FHEPS – HRA You can start at a Benefits Access Center, through ACCESS HRA online, or at a Homebase office in your borough. If you’re in shelter, your caseworker will usually begin the process for you.
Who Qualifies for FHEPS
Two things have to be true before anything else matters. Your household must include a child under 18 (or an 18-year-old enrolled full-time in high school or an equivalent program, up until they turn 19), and your family must have an active Cash Assistance case. If there’s no Cash Assistance case, the application stops before it starts. All family members must be included on the public assistance budget before HRA will process the application.
You also need a qualifying housing crisis. According to HRA, the situations that qualify are:1Human Resources Administration. FHEPS – HRA
- Eviction or risk of eviction — a Housing Court case has started, or your landlord has given you a written rent demand or written threat to evict.
- Loss of housing because of domestic violence, under Social Services Law Section 459-a(1).
- A previous home that was uninhabitable due to dangerous health or safety conditions.
- Current residence in a DHS shelter or an HRA domestic violence shelter.
Foreclosure against your building’s owner can also qualify your household if it puts your tenancy at risk.
The Lawsuit Question
FHEPS historically required families living in the community to be named in an active Housing Court case before applying. HRA later adopted a temporary policy letting families apply with just a written rent demand or threat to evict, and that policy was last extended through the end of 2023.2Benefits Plus. NYC Extends No Lawsuit Required for FHEPS and CityFHEPS Applications Ask your Homebase provider or Benefits Access Center what today’s rule is before you assume either way. It’s the kind of policy that changes without much notice, and it can determine whether you qualify at all.
A Note on CityFHEPS
CityFHEPS is a different program. It’s city-funded, covers a broader population including single adults and households without children, and you generally cannot receive it if you qualify for FHEPS.3NYC Human Resources Administration. CityFHEPS Frequently Asked Questions Families with children on Cash Assistance are directed to FHEPS first. If your household doesn’t fit FHEPS, ask about CityFHEPS instead.
Where to File the Application
If you already receive Cash Assistance, you can start at an HRA Benefits Access Center or submit a special grant request through ACCESS HRA, the agency’s online portal.1Human Resources Administration. FHEPS – HRA
For families in the community facing eviction, Homebase is usually the better starting point. Homebase offices operate in every borough, and staff there evaluate your situation, help assemble the application, and submit the package to HRA on your behalf.4Human Resources Administration. Homebase – HRA They also handle eviction prevention work, landlord mediation, and referrals to other benefits, which is useful when the FHEPS timeline runs long. Find the office serving your borough through HRA.5Human Resources Administration. Homebase Locations
If you’re in a DHS or HRA shelter, your shelter caseworker typically initiates the process and coordinates the referral. You don’t need to walk into a Benefits Access Center on your own.
Documents to Gather Before You File
Incomplete paperwork is the most common reason an application stalls, and HRA will bounce a package back with anything missing. Treat document collection as the real work.
Proof of the Housing Crisis
For a pending eviction, bring the written rent demand or threat from your landlord. If a Housing Court case has been filed, bring the Notice of Petition and Petition that were served on you. If the case has moved further, you may also need a court-ordered stipulation of settlement or a judgment. Families in shelter usually rely on a referral from the shelter caseworker as verification.1Human Resources Administration. FHEPS – HRA
Landlord Paperwork
Your landlord has forms to complete too. HRA needs the owner’s contact and payment information so it can send rent directly, along with a copy of the current lease or written rental agreement. The landlord also has to certify the building’s violation status; HRA will not approve a placement into a building with serious open HPD violations or one on the city’s Prohibited Buildings List. Similar landlord paperwork exists on the CityFHEPS side, and HRA publishes the CityFHEPS Landlord Package on its site.6Human Resources Administration. CityFHEPS Documents – HRA
Income and Household
Gather documentation for every source of income in the household: recent pay stubs, Social Security award letters, child support records, and any other benefits statements. Utility bills help establish your total housing costs. Confirm that every household member is listed on your Cash Assistance budget before you submit anything, because HRA will reject the application if the budget and the lease don’t match.
After You Submit
HRA reviews the documentation, cross-checks records, and contacts your landlord to confirm participation and set up direct payments. Expect requests for additional paperwork or updated banking information from the landlord during this stretch. Stay in close contact with your Homebase caseworker, and check ACCESS HRA for status updates. An unanswered request for documents can quietly close an otherwise approvable case.
You’ll receive a written determination by mail. An approval letter states the monthly supplement amount and the duration of assistance, and may authorize a one-time payment for rent arrears followed by ongoing monthly payments to the landlord.
If You’re in Shelter and Need to Find an Apartment
Approvals from shelter come with what’s commonly called a “shopping letter,” which you show prospective landlords to confirm your subsidy and the maximum rent it covers. The letter is valid for about 120 days. When you find a unit, your caseworker submits a housing package, and the apartment must pass a habitability inspection and a rent reasonableness test before you sign a lease. The full process from application to move-in can take many months. Start searching as soon as you get the letter, and do not sign a lease or hand over a deposit before your caseworker confirms HRA approval.
If Your Application Is Denied
A denial notice has to state the specific reason. Read it carefully, because the reason drives your next step. Missing paperwork can often be cured by resubmitting. If you think HRA got the facts wrong or misapplied the rules, request a Fair Hearing through the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.7NYC311. Public Benefit Fair Hearing
You have 60 days from the denial notice to request the hearing. File online through OTDA’s Office of Administrative Hearings, by fax at (518) 473-5735, by mail to P.O. Box 1930, Albany, NY 12201-1930, or by calling 1-800-342-3334. For an emergency hearing in New York City, call 1-800-205-0110. Bring the denial letter, supporting documents HRA may have overlooked, and proof of your housing situation. Tenants with legal representation tend to do better at this stage.
Renewing Your Subsidy
Approval isn’t permanent. FHEPS follows an annual recertification schedule, and CityFHEPS operates on a similar cycle with a renewal application mailed roughly five months before the end of the subsidy year.8NYC311. CityFHEPS Rental Assistance You’ll submit updated income documentation and confirm your household still meets program requirements. Missing the deadline can terminate assistance, so handle the renewal form like a bill that’s due.
Report changes during the year — a new job, someone moving in or out, a child turning 18 and leaving school — to HRA promptly. Unreported changes create overpayments HRA will eventually recoup, and they can sink your eligibility when renewal comes around.