Statement from Opportunity Home Acting President and CEO Michael Reyes
To protect our residents, all pending, eligible Notices to Vacate (NTV) issued last month to public housing households will be rescinded immediately. All households under the $3,000 current repayment policy will be automatically eligible for a repayment agreement. Additionally, the organization will propose to the Board a one-time repayment policy adjustment to double the allowable arrears balance of up to $6,000 for pandemic-era (post-March 2020) balances to protect additional households.
Therefore, the eligibility criteria for this directive would be households with active NTVs and a total household balance of up to $6,000. This action will protect more than 80% of affected NTV households and 100% of yet-to-be issued NTV households, which would have consisted of more than 500 additional households in arrears under one year.
“We must do all we can to protect our vulnerable households, particularly those who are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic,” said Acting President and CEO Michael Reyes. “This is the right thing to do and we will continue to find ways in the coming days and weeks to further protect our residents.”