A state judge ruled Thursday that the City Council has no legal authority to expand a city housing voucher program, a law that was originally vetoed by Mayor Eric Adams who said it was too costly.In his ruling, Judge Lyle E. Frank agreed with the Adams administration’s contention that the Council’s bill was invalid and preempted by the state’s social services law — and they have no authority to expand on it. “The issue is not whether the Council’s action of overriding the Mayor’s veto was lawful but rather whether the subject of the legislation is preempted by state law,” he wrote. The Council voted last year to expand eligibility for housing-voucher programs including Family Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (FHEPS), which is also called CityFHEPS. The package of legislation’s goal was to move people out of shelter and into permanent housing, including one bill that changed the qualifications of who can receive a voucher. The bill was vetoed by Adams and the Council then overrode that veto, forcing the city government to carry out the new laws. But last December, Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park sent a letter to the Council saying they could not be implemented due to “substantial financial, operational and legal issues.” The Council and the Legal Aid Society filed the suit in April against Adams and his administration for not complying with new laws.CityFHEPS is administered by the city’s Department of Social Services, and New Yorkers qualify after meeting certain criteria — including if they are facing eviction and their household earns a gross income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.An estimated 36,000 households use the program annually. Cost estimates for the changes vary, from between $3 billion to $36 billion over the next five years, according to the Independent Budget Office.Housing Crisis vs. Rising CostsFollowing the ruling on Thursday, Robert Desir, a staff attorney with the Civil Law Reform Unit at Legal Aid, said they were considering “all of our options, including an appeal.”“Amid an unprecedented housing and homelessness crisis, today’s court ruling will have a devastating impact on thousands of New Yorkers on the brink of eviction or already experiencing homelessness, and it will cost the city millions of dollars on shelter costs,” he said in a statement.City Council spokesperson Rendy Desamours also said they’re “pursuing an immediate appeal.”“It’s unfortunate that Mayor Adams’ administration has fought to delay help to New Yorkers that can prevent them from evictions and homelessness amidst a housing crisis,” he said in a statement. Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Park speaks at City Hall with Mayor Eric Adams ahead of an executive order signing ending the 90-day rule for people applying for CityFHEPS housing vouchers, June 16, 2023. Credit: Ben Fractenberg/THE CITYIn a statement, the mayor touted his administration’s assistance in helping a “record number of New Yorkers obtain permanent housing using CityFHEPS last year.”“While we are glad that the court agrees with our administration that these laws went beyond the City Council’s legislative authority, we are hopeful that our partners in the Council will join us in remaining committed to working to connect New Yorkers in need with safe, affordable, permanent housing,” he said.Adams and others have cited the projected cost of the program as a concern for its expansion. E.J. McMahon, the founder of the fiscal watchdog group Empire Center, told THE CITY on Wednesday the bills were introduced without any thought of the cost.“This was done more or less even as the budget process was unfolding in the spring of 2023,” he said in arguing for stronger fiscal reforms. “The Council deliberately never bothered to approve the additional line-item appropriation this undoubtedly costly program would require.” DONATE to THE CITY The post Council Loses Lawsuit Over Housing Voucher Program Expansion appeared first on THE CITY - NYC News.First published by THE CITY – NYC News.