Yonkers Housing Authority partnership with Westhab will help preserve affordable housing in Yonkers

Yonkers, NY Low-income residents will be able to stay in their affordable housing units thanks to a new partnership between The Yonkers Housing Authority (YHA) and Westhab.

Last year, YHA formed a partnership with Westhab to provide rental subsidies to residents by awarding the organization Section eight housing vouchers. YHA administers the vouchers provided by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Section 8 vouchers provide critical rental subsidies to income-qualifying tenants, allowing residents to remain in their homes and increasing the stock of much-needed, deeply affordable housing in the Yonkers community.

As of March of this year, 67 households have begun receiving this critical subsidy. YHA and Westhab plan to add 33 more vouchers to the program, preserving a total of 100 units of quality housing for low-income residents in Yonkers, including families with children, the elderly, and the disabled.

“The goal is to preserve affordable housing for people who may be at risk of losing their homes because their incomes are too low to afford housing in our area,’’ said Wilson Kimball, president and CEO of YHA. “Our partnership with Westhab makes sense on so many levels. It helps support low-income residents as well as a non-profit organization that does valuable work in our community.”

“We truly appreciate this opportunity to better serve our community. These vouchers greatly benefit our tenants and will help preserve and improve Westhab’s quality, affordable housing stock in Yonkers for the long term,” said Westhab president & CEO Richard Nightingale.

Westhab, founded in 1981 to address the affordable housing crisis in Westchester, develops affordable and supportive housing, operates homeless shelters, and provides youth programs and employment services in Westchester and New York City.

Andrew Germansky, senior vice president of real estate for Westhab, shared that many residents living in Westhab’s affordable housing are not currently receiving subsidies. The vouchers will provide another layer of much-needed support. The additional source of income will also mean greater resources for building improvements. The partnership with Westhab is part of a larger effort by YHA and Yonkers mayor Mike Spano to expand affordable housing opportunities in the city. 

Marc S., a Westhab tenant living in Yonkers, explained how receiving a voucher has impacted his living situation, “Westhab employees have been so helpful and quick to get things moving in the right direction, but I still struggled to pay my rent at times, especially in recent years. These vouchers are helping me tremendously. I am so grateful because this is my home, and I want to stay here.”

This past summer, mayor Spano, Kimball, and MHACY board chairman James Landy, said that they were releasing a request for proposals from building owners who were interested in participating in the Section 8 Housing program.

“Housing is key to the vitality of any city. In addition to all the new market-rate housing that is going up, YHA has renovated its public housing stock and is now making more affordable housing available through the use of Section 8 vouchers in partnership with building owners,’’ said mayor Spano. “This approach ensures that the city of Yonkers provides a full spectrum of housing, and renews our commitment to provide safe, affordable housing for working families.’’