Lawyers Manual - Unified Court System

278 Amy E. Schwartz and Sharon Stapel
in areas where rents are high, public housing and other low cost housing is
unavailable, and evictions are frequent. To provide such a supplement the local
district must file a plan with the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance,
which sets the amount of the supplement and the conditions of eligibility. 134
New York City and Orange, Suffolk, Nassau and Westchester counties have
adopted such plans, which can provide a family who is eligible for public
assistance with hundreds of additional dollars each month. 135 In New York City,
this program is called the Family Eviction Prevention Supplement (FEPS). The
family must have an open public assistance case. FEPS, like Jiggetts,
supplements the pubic assistance rental allowance. Unlike Housing Stability
Plus (discussed above), FEPS grants will not be reduced annually.
Like Jiggetts relief, FEPS is available if a family is facing an eviction
action filed in Housing Court. The FEPS application can only be made by the
Legal Aid Society, Legal Services offices, and approved community-based
organizations. Households that are currently receiving Jiggetts relief will
continue receiving Jiggetts for up to two years from Summer 2006; after that
time, the family will be transferred to FEPS if the family is still eligible for a
shelter supplement.
Jiggetts and FEPS differ in that FEPS levels are higher than Jiggetts levels.
Supplements are as follows:
SIZE OF PA HOUSEHOLD JIGGETTS LEVEL FEPS LEVEL
1 $450 $650
2 550 750
3 650 850
4 700 900
5 725 1000
6 750 1050
7 775 1100
Because FEPS is a new program, and because Jiggetts is a still open
lawsuit, advocates should consult with their local legal service providers and
review OTDA policy directives. 136