- AOI: Affidavit of Income
- CFR: Code of Federal Regulations
- HRA: Human Resources Administration
- NYCHA: New York City Housing Authority
- SSD: Social Security Disability
- SSI: Supplemental Security Income
- USC: United States Code
Requirements of Program
Each adult NYCHA household member who is not otherwise exempt, is required by federal law to perform eight hours of Community Service per month or participate in an Economic Self-Sufficiency program for eight hours per month, totaling 96 hours per year (unless individually stated, both terms are referred to as “Community Service”). The Community Service provider must verify the household member’s performance of Community Service. Community Service hours may be performed on a flexible schedule as long as each household member has completed the total number of hours required by the yearly scheduled Annual Recertification. An excess of Community Service hours performed by a household member during any year may be carried over and applied to that specific household member's Community Service requirement during the next year. However, there is no carry-over of either hours served or hours when a household transfers to a new NYCHA apartment. A new requirement to perform eight hours per month begins after moving into the new apartment.
Satisfactory completion of the required service by all non-exempt household members is a mandatory condition for lease renewal and continued occupancy in public housing.
Household members required to perform Community Service are permitted to choose the method of Community Service that they prefer. They may choose from listings provided by NYCHA or identify other forms of service acceptable to NYCHA.
Community Service participants do not replace regular NYCHA employees and are not to perform work ordinarily performed by NYCHA employees.
NYCHA gives residents a written description of the service requirement, and of the process for claiming status as an exempt person and for NYCHA verification of such status.
Time Frame for Participation
Each household member who is required to perform Community Service must begin such services as follows:
- Household Members who are on the Initial Lease
Beginning on the household’s first Lease Effective Date after move in.
- Household Members who are Added as Permanent Members after the Initial Lease
Beginning on the household’s first Lease Effective Date after permanent permission is granted by NYCHA for the new household member to move into the apartment.
Economic Self-Sufficiency Program
A household member may satisfy Community Service requirements if they participate in an Economic Self-Sufficiency program. An Economic Self-Sufficiency program is defined by law as any program that is designed to encourage, assist, train, or facilitate the economic independence of its participants and their household. These programs include programs for job training, employment counseling, work placement, basic skills training, education, English proficiency, workfare, financial or household management, apprenticeship, and any program necessary to ready a participant for work (including a substance abuse or mental health treatment program). An Economic Self-Sufficiency program can also provide work for its participants.
Community Service Activities
Community Service is defined by law as the performance of voluntary work or duties that are a public benefit and that serve to improve the quality of life, enhance resident self-sufficiency, or increase resident responsibility in the community. Community Service is not employment and may not include political activities.
Residents may choose to fulfill their Community Service requirement at an available provider located either within a NYCHA development or at a non-NYCHA Community Service provider. An individual may not be a Community Service provider.
The following lists examples of activities within a NYCHA development that NYCHA may consider as valid Community Service opportunities:
Alternatively, a resident may choose a non-NYCHA Community Service provider by consulting:
- The Mayor's Office - Voluntary Action Center - http://www.nyc.gov/volunteer
- New York City Citizen Service Center by calling 311
- The Volunteer Match database, http://www.volunteermatch.org
The resident may also choose a Community Service provider that is not on a database listed above, provided that permission is obtained from NYCHA prior to performance of Community Service.
- Exemption from Requirements
- Qualifying for an Exemption
A household member may qualify for an exemption, which will be verified per NYCHA policy.
An exempt individual is a person who:
Age
Is 62 years or older (permanent exemption);
Blindness and Disability
Is blind and certifies that due to the disability they are unable to participate in Community Service activities. As defined under 216(i)(1) or 1614 of the Social Security Act (42 USC 416(i)(1); 1382c), blindness is defined as central visual acuity of 20/200, or less, in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens. An eye that is accompanied by a limitation in the fields of vision, such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees, will be considered for the purposes of this paragraph as having a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less.
Is disabled and certifies that due to the disability they are unable to participate in Community Service activities. As defined under 216(i)(1) or 1614 of the Social Security Act (42 USC 416(i)(1); 1382c), disability is defined as an inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determined physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death, or which has lasted, or can be expected to last, for a continuous period of not less than 12 calendar months. A pregnant person may also qualify as disabled if performing Community Service activities would cause any medically determined impairment or serious injury to the adult or unborn fetus. Household members in a health care facility, such as a hospital or nursing home, must verify their disability to be exempt from Community Service.
Is receiving payments of either Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability (SSD).
Caretaker
Is a primary caretaker of a public housing child or of a resident who is exempt from Community Service activities due to blindness, disability, or receipt of SSI or SSD as defined above. A primary caretaker must provide care for not less than 20 hours per week.
Educational Activity
Is enrolled in vocational educational training (available not more than one time per household member).
Is engaged in job skills training directly related to employment, including attendance in a trade school. The individual might not be currently employed, but employment may be contingent on successful completion of job training.
Is engaged in education directly related to employment if they do not have a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency. The individual might not be currently employed, but employment may be contingent on successful completion of job training.
Is enrolled in and has satisfactory attendance at a secondary school or higher.
Is enrolled in and has satisfactory attendance in a course of study leading to a certificate of general equivalence, if they have not completed secondary school or received such a certificate.
Employment Activities
Is employed in a position that is unsubsidized, subsidized in the private sector, or that is unsubsidized in the public sector.
Public Assistance
Receives public assistance from Human Resources Administration (HRA)
Childcare
Childcare and participation in a non-Human Resources Administration (HRA) welfare program.
NYCHA regularly maintains resident data that qualifies a resident for certain exemptions. These data are limited to the exemption categories of age, employment activities, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability (SSD) income and public assistance from Human Resources Administration (HRA). Generally, a resident is not required to supply additional verification to qualify for any of these exemptions.
If NYCHA does not maintain data relating to an exemption, a resident must provide verification in order to qualify. The exemption categories that require resident supplied verification are blindness and disability (if not receiving SSI or SSD income), caretaker, educational activities, and childcare and participation in a non-HRA welfare program.
Since NYCHA reviews income, household composition, and Community Service status annually, once a resident submits proof of exempt status, additional proof of the exemption will generally not be required until the next year’s Annual Recertification. Once an exemption is permanent, no additional verification is required. The following describes the effect of an exemption:
- Exemption Verification During the Annual Recertification Process
The Annual Recertification period begins when NYCHA notifies residents that they must complete their Affidavit of Income for their Annual Recertification and ends the day before the Lease Effective Date (refer to chart below and Chapter 8, Recertifications and Continued Occupancy, for more details). For example: The 1st Quarter Annual Review period begins January 1st and ends April 30th.
- Effect of exemption: Acceptable documents verifying an exemption submitted during this time exempts the resident for the entire month during which the exemption is submitted, for the remainder of the Annual Review period, and for the next upcoming one-year term of the Lease.
Annual Recertification Period
Annual Certification Review Dates
AOI Notification Sent to Residents
Annual Recertification and Lease Effective Date
Term of Lease
