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July 23, 2012
Comptroller Says Housing Lotteries Chosen Out of Trash Bags
The audit says there are flaws in New York City's current affordable housing lottery system.
Park Slope Patch
by Jamie Schuh
New York City’s affordable housing lotteries are chosen by mixing applications around on the floor, and drawing them from large garbage bags, says a shocking new audit by the office of City Comptroller John Liu.
The audit found that the selection process is vulnerable to errors and fraud.
“It’s shameful that when thousands of New York families desperately need affordable housing their hopes are pinned on the City’s embarrassingly ad hoc and sloppy process,” said Comptroller Liu.
And on Bruce Ratner.
Comptroller Liu’s audit, which focused on fiscal year 2011, determined that HPD’s garbage bag lottery was not sufficiently random and created opportunities for error or preferential treatment.
In one instance, auditors found that two out of 11 applicants who were listed as residents of the community board — and therefore offered first preference in the lottery — were not in fact residents of the community board at all.
NoLandGrab: We suppose having your application pulled out of a garbage bag is better than having Bertha Lewis decide who does or doesn't get a subsidized apartment.
Posted by eric at July 23, 2012 9:54 AM