The Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers (MHACY) will be partnering with owners of market-rate buildings in the city and expand the inventory of affordable housing units.

MHACY CEO Wilson Kimball has sent out a request for proposals (RFP) inviting landlords to participate in the Section 8 Housing program.

Section 8 provides vouchers through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that subsidize rental units in market-rate buildings for income-qualifying tenants.

In order to be eligible to receive Section 8 vouchers, among other things, residents must have total household be at or below 50% of the area median income and must pay at least 30% of household income toward rent.

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said this is the first time in more than a decade that MHACY has sought to recruit landlords for the Section 8 program.

James Landy, the MHACY board chairman, described the Section 8 offering as a win-win situation for tenants, building owners and the city. 

The first round of RFP responses must reach MHACY no later than 4 p.m. on July 14. After that, MHACY intends to solicit proposals from landlords on a quarterly basis.

The proposals will be evaluated by CEO Wilson Kimball’s team, based on general criteria and specific criteria applying to new construction, existing projects and projects requiring substantial rehabilitation.

General criteria applying to all categories include location and proximity to social, recreation, commercial, mass transit and other facilities, handicap accessibility, history of compliance with fair housing regulations and the availability of support services.

MHACY is the second-largest public housing authority in New York state, the largest being the New York City Housing Authority.