Gothamist uncovers landlord loophole in city's ineffective grant program
City's Unlocking Doors program fails to award any grants to struggling rent-stabilized landlords.
Despite Mayor Eric Adams' promise to help struggling landlords, the city's Unlocking Doors program has yet to award any grants to rent-stabilized landlords who fix up low-rent apartments and lease them to low-income voucher holders. In fact, only one owner has applied for the program's $25,000 grant in the 20 months since its launch in December 2023, and that applicant eventually backed out, leaving the program with zero awarded dollars.
Gothamist uncovered this loophole in the city's program, highlighting the lack of support for landlords who are struggling to maintain their rent-stabilized properties. The program, which was unveiled by Mayor Adams eight months before its launch, took the city most of the year to get started.
The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) oversees the program and claims that the lack of interest from landlords is due to the strict requirements and eligibility criteria. However, critics argue that the program is simply not effective in providing necessary financial assistance to struggling landlords.
The lack of awarded grants from the Unlocking Doors program adds to the mounting evidence of the city's ineffective programs to help rent-stabilized landlords. With no money being awarded, it is clear that the program is failing to fulfill its purpose of supporting struggling landlords and stabilizing the rental market.
Originally reported by The Real Deal.
https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2025/09/08/landlord-program-unlocking-doors-has-awarded-zero-dollars/