Page 2 - QT Edition #3 01-15-26

PAGE 2 THE QUEENS TIMES THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026

Audit of NYC’s CityFHEPS Program Reveals Weak
Oversight And Rising Costs

(Continued from page 1) to receive rent payments through tion list to bar participation by
the program. building owners with unresolved
tions, before move-in, including • Improper Payments: DSS paid safety or habitability issues.
an instance where a family was broker’s fees in direct violation • Verify household income for all
placed into a unit that had just of program rules, in one case adults and ensure rent payments
been vacated by another tenant $6,800 to a company affiliated are reported correctly.
for habitability issues that had not with the landlord. Broker fees are • Improve data tracking so
been fixed. The audit also found permitted only when the broker all cases and services are fully
landlords who continued to re- is an independent party, not the documented.
ceive rent payments for uninhabit- landlord or anyone affiliated with DSS said it has updated its case
able apartments, increasing costs the landlord. In multiple cases, management systems to better
and forcing families to relocate. DSS approved rents above market track cases and plans to launch
• Missing Documentation: Near- rates by an average of $525 per new teams focused on monitoring
ly half of the case files reviewed month without documentation landlords and improving oversight
were missing required proof of of required rent-reasonableness of housing safety and conditions
income or eligibility, undermin- assessments. by mid-2026.
ing the integrity of the program’s DiNapoli’s audit recommends This audit builds on DiNapoli’s
qualification process. DSS: October 2024 audit of CityFHEPS,
• Weak Landlord Oversight: DSS • Strengthen oversight of Home- which found systemic weaknesses
has not implemented a system to base providers to ensure required in data reliability and rent payment
disqualify landlords with repeated documentation is complete and oversight. Together, these audits
A & F Auto Repairs, Inc. building code violations or poor accurate. highlight the need for stronger
performance. The audit found • Expand pre-clearance inspec-
management and accountability
General Auto Repairs landlords in the program on the tions for all apartments before to make housing assistance more
(Foreingn and Domestic) city’s Public Advocate’s Worst approving subsidies. efficient and to ensure it reaches
Accessories Landlord Watchlist who continued • Create a landlord disqualifica- New Yorkers who need it most.
• Tires • Batteries
• Electronic Tune-ups Governor Hochul Announces Investments to
• Inspection Station
• Towing Deliver Universal Child Care For New York
ARIS & FRANK Children Under Five

43-05 111th Street • Corona Heights, NY
Greek, Spanish and Italian Spoken (Continued from page 1) working parents and kids across of high-quality, universal child
our state.”
care for New York families.
(718) 592-7470 (718) 699-2499 Governor Kathy Hochul New York City Mayor Zohran This announcement builds
announced an unprecedented Mamdani said, “Over the past 14 on steps that Governor Hochul
investment as the next step to months, a movement was born has taken to expand access to af-
Read Our Paper Online Visit our deliver affordable, universal child to fight for a city where every fordable child care for families,
website: www.queenstimes.com care for children under five years New Yorker could afford a life laying the groundwork for the
of age across New York State. of dignity and every family could implementation of universal child
or scan QR code The Governor will partner with afford to raise their kids. Today, care statewide. Specifically, the
Mayor Zohran Mamdani to de- Governor Hochul and I meet that State has already:
liver free child care for two-year- movement as we celebrate our • More than doubled the number
Subscribe to the olds in New York City, in addition joint commitment to universal of children served by child care
to strengthening the existing 3K child care. This victory repre-
vouchers in just four years, with
Queens Times program to achieve universal care sents much more than a triumph an almost 25 percent increase in
and ultimately, serve all families of city and state government the past 12 months alone.
across the city.
working in partnership — it is • Provided more than $8.6
In 2026, the State will continue proof that when New Yorkers billion for child care, including
Your Local Newspaper-One Edition for All Of Queens to expand access to high-quality come together, we can transform more than doubling funding for
child care programs throughout the way the government serves subsidies.
Just $57.00 per year... and have the paper the state, through a diversity of working families.” • Dramatically expanded the
delivered to your door by US Mail models, saving New York fami- Governor Hochul’s State of number of families who are
lies billions of dollars each year. the State investments will com- eligible by increasing the maxi-
Please Enter my Subscription For One Year Since taking office, Governor mit to delivering affordable mum income from 200 percent
Hochul has already taken major childcare for nearly 100,000 more of Federal poverty level (roughly
Name .............................................................................. steps to expand access to af- kids. Through this $1.7 billion $64,000 for a family of four) to
fordable child care for families increased investment, the total the maximum allowed under Fed-
Address .......................................................................... through an investment of more FY27 investment will be $4.5 eral law — 85 percent of State-
than $8 billion dollars in the billion for childcare and prekin- wide median income (roughly
City..................................................Zip........................... State’s child care infrastructure, dergarten services statewide. $114,000 for a family of four).
Please make check payable to: Queens Times and mail to: dramatically expanding access, As part of Governor Hochul’s • Made child care more afford-
11-20 154th Street, Whitestone, NY 11357 as part of laying the groundwork 2026 State of the State, this pro- able by reducing the amount those
for the implementation of univer- posal will: receiving subsidy pay by capping
sal child care statewide. • Make Pre-K truly universal costs at $15 per week for most
“There’s one thing that every statewide, families.
family in New York can agree • Partner with New York City to • Increased reimbursement
on, the cost of childcare is simply launch the new Mayor’s signature rates for providers by nearly 50
too high,” Governor Hochul said. 2-Care program and finally real- percent, helping providers retain
“As New York’s first mom Gov- ize the promise of universal 3K staff and provide quality care for
ernor, fighting for New York’s access in New York City, children across the state.
Published every week by CT Publishing Corp. families has always been at the • Support other counties in • Supported the future creation
Executive Office: 102-54 Nicolls Avenue, Corona Heights, NY 11368 core of my agenda. Since taking building out new child care pilots of thousands of child care seats
Operations: 11-20 154th Street, Whitestone, NY 11357 office, I’ve put families front and that offer high-quality affordable and new centers through more
Phone (718) 592-2196 • FAX (718) 357-3682 center, fighting to make our state care to families regardless of than $150M in capital funding.
Web Site: www.queenstimes.com more affordable and laying the income, and “Since taking office, I’ve put
email: editor@queenstimes.com groundwork to deliver universal • Expand child care subsidies families front and center, fighting
childcare. Today, I’m proud to to tens of thousands of additional to make our state more affordable
partner with Mayor Mamdani and families. and laying the groundwork to de-
James C. Lisa .........................Publisher/Editor leaders across our state to make Alongside these commitments, liver universal childcare. Today,
Lew Scala .............................. Associate Publisher/Webmaster this a reality, turning that foun- the Governor will launch an Of- I’m proud to partner with Mayor
Lou Duro ...............................International Correspondent dation into a concrete roadmap fice of Child Care and Early Edu- Mamdani and leaders across our
Nicole Rescigno.....................Office Manager that will transform the lives of cation to steer the implementation state to make this a reality.”
Joseph V. Dorsa ...................Photo Journalist
Joseph Natalle .......................Photojournalist Read Our Paper Online Visit Our Website
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