Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP)

Our HPIP continues to fight and stop evictions in Mt. Vernon and throughout Westchester County. We have been providing services via the Emergency Rental Assistance Proqram (ERAP) for the last couple of years. The ERAP was for families and individuals who had either lost income or had additional expenses as a result of Covid-19. The ERAP ended January 20,2023 and we will no longer be able to secure thert funding for tenants who had fallen into arrears as a result of Covid-19. We will continue to provide case management assistance for any tenants who are facing eviction. Please let tenants in your building know of the ending of ERAP and MVUT’s continuing efforts to fight all evictions (see below on the Winter Eviction Moratorium.)

Tenant Action Project (TAP)

Our TAP is our building organizing component – where we assist tenants in forming effectivra tenants’ associations within their building to improve services, fight landlord harassment, negotiate more affordable rents and to become more able to represent theiir buildings” interest.

Annyal MVUT General Membership Meeting
Tuesday, November 29 @ 7:00 PM
MVUT Office, 2 Gramatan Avenue – Suite 304

It’s been a while since we’ve mailed to everyone, but it’s not because of a lack of activity on our part. Things in fact have been quite busy on various fronts.

Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP)

Our HPP has been working overtime to keep people in their homes and out of the costly emergency shelter system. We continue to fight eviction cases and we are still processing loads of Emergency Rental Assistance Proqram (ERAP) applications. In the last few months we’ve stopped over 35 evictions; processed over 70 ERAP applications and worked with the City of Mt. Vernon processing potential recipients in the City’s “Level Up” Program, whereby some lucky families will be receiving $6,000.00 over a year to help them really stabilize their housing. This had a short window to propose potential recipients, who will ultimately be drawn via a lottery. MVUT assisted in processing 18 potential recipients.

Tenant Action Project (TAP)

This is our building organization campaign. For the last few years as a result of the pandemic, there had been very little building organizing as tenants, as most everyone, were reluctant to participate in meetings with others. This put a realstop in MVUT holding tenant building organizing meetings. Things are starting to open up a bit and we’re beginning olrganizing campaigns or following up with already established tenant associations in the following buildings:

– 229 So.7th Avenue – 150 So. Fifth Avenue – 138 So. Fifth Avenue – 21 West Sanford Blvd – 20 East Third St.

– The Plaza Buildings (40 E. Sidney Avenue, 30 Park Avenue, 33 North Third Avenue and 111 North Third Avenue)

Tenants’ Rights Workshops

With the City of Mt. Vemon (both the Department of Planninq and and the Department of Buildings) we’ll be organizing Tenants’ Riqhts Workshops in English on Thursday, November 17 at the Doles Center, and in Spanish on Sunday, November 20 after mass at St. Mary’s Church on South Terrace Avenue (see two (2) sided flyer)

Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)

MVUT continues to assist tenants who have fallen behind in rent due to either a loss of income, or an increase in expenses due to Covid-19. As of this writing we’ve helped submit over 250 ERAP applications and assisted in another nearly 200 cases with uploading various documents in their ERAP applications. Despite news to the contrary, we’re still processing ERAP applications.