#Mitchell lama waiting list 2016 verification

When self-reported income doesn’t match with Tax and Finance records, the building’s management is supposed to conduct an income verification audit by comparing the tenant’s tax returns to his or her affidavit. The second tenant’s affidavit showed income of $1,422,594, but the vendor input$142,259.įailure to Verify Self-Reported Income : HPD officials said they became aware of the data-entry errors when tenants asked why they were subject to an income verification audit. One tenant reported an annual income of$1,167,620 on the affidavit, but the vendor entered only $116,762. Two tenants at Penn South, a Manhattan co-op under HPD oversight, earned more than $1 million in 2012. Other errors occurred when tenants’ incomes exceeded $1 million and required more than the standard six-digit field for data entry. The audit found data entry errors related to the income amount in 28 (14 percent) of 191 affidavits sampled. The 2012 affidavits were the most recent available that had gone through this process. Inaccurate Income Data : The income that residents list on their affidavits is electronically entered by an outside vendor and sent to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (Tax and Finance) for verification. This monthly rent represented 1.5 percent of the household’s income. This monthly rent represented less than 1 percent of the household’s income.Īt Tracey Towers (Bronx) a household making $721,144 paid $911 in monthly rent (which included the 50 percent maximum surcharge of $377) for a five-room apartment.

Of those with incomes exceeding the maximum by 25 percent or more, auditors found several households reporting annual earnings of more than $500,000, including:Īt Kings Bay II (Brooklyn) a household with an income of $801,377 paid $636 in monthly rent (which included the 50 percent maximum surcharge of $191) for a four-room apartment. HPD officials said they have not enforced this requirement and instead are pursuing legislative changes to increase surcharges and eliminate the removal clause. Many of these tenants exceeded the allowable income by 50 percent. Of 191 sampled tenants, 59 (30 percent) exceeded the maximum limit by at least 25 percent. Under state law, if a household’s income exceeds the maximum limit by 25 percent or more, the resident must get HPD approval to stay or HPD can remove them. Resident Incomes Well Over Maximum : If a Mitchell-Lama resident’s self-reported income exceeds the maximum allowable income level, the building management adds a surcharge ranging from 5 to 50 percent of the individual’s monthly rent or co-op fees. These were chosen because they had a number of higher-income residents. The developments were Big Six Towers (Queens) Confucius Plaza (Manhattan) Kings Bay II (Brooklyn) North Shore (formerly Arlington Terrace, in Staten Island) and Tracey Towers (Bronx). According to this data, more than half had incomes below $50,000, while 230 units had incomes of $250,000 and above and several households had incomes exceeding$500,000.ĭiNapoli’s audit examined income affidavits for 2012 reported by 191 residents at five Mitchell-Lama developments – one per borough. For calendar year 2012, 32,341 households submitted affidavits reporting a wide range of incomes. Residents of Mitchell-Lama’s rental and co-op apartments must submit annual affidavits of their household income. HPD needs do a better job of ensuring that apartments are occupied by qualified residents and protect the integrity of the residences built under the Mitchell-Lama program.” “In some Mitchell-Lama buildings, unfortunately, that isn’t the case. “The severe shortage of affordable housing in New York demands that subsidized apartments go to the families who need them,” DiNapoli said. The audit found the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) has not done enough to verify that residents are reporting their true income and are paying the correct surcharge when their income exceeds allowable limits. NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Some residents of Mitchell-Lama apartments in New York City make far more than the program’s maximum allowed incomes and pay a modest monthly surcharge as their only penalty, according to an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P.

Mitchell lama waiting list 2016