Making The One Shot Deal a Better Deal for Taxpayers

The One Shot Deal can be of great benefit to tenants that need it. But in at least one scenario it can cost taxpayers thousands of dollars. I’m not a big fan of stating a problem without offering a solution. So in this article, I will be talking about making the One-Shot Deal a better deal for taxpayers.

Uses for the One-Shot Deal

I know of three uses for the One Hot Deal, there may be others but I have not heard of them.

• The One Shot Deal is used when a program recipient finds an apartment. The deal is usually part of the package. It is paid to the owner at or just after the closing.
• Next is when a person enters a shelter but is not in a program. This happened to a customer who–ironically worked for a program–had to vacate an apartment she shared with a relative. For months we searched for an apartment but the problem was the amount of money needed for the security, first month’s rent and moving expenses. Enter the One Shot Deal, with this deal she was able to locate an apartment that she could afford without the added expenses previously stated.
• The final use is court-ordered. This happens when a person, program or not, is in tenant-landlord court. The tenant is facing eviction for non-payment of rent. The judge can order that a One-Shot Deal be used to repay all back rent. After which the tenant must begin paying rent. It is this use of the One-Shot Deal that I am going to address.

Repayment of Rent

I heard about this usage when an owner informed me of it. It seems during the course of an eviction the judge ordered the one-shot deal. This was to cover over six months of back rent. This allowed the tenant to remain in the apartment. I don’t know the actual mechanics of how this came about. Whether the owner agreed to it or the judge ordered it to resolve the case. Nonetheless, it happened.

Falling Behind Again

Fast-forward a few months. The tenant is again behind in rent. The tenant was supposed to begin paying rent a few months after the One-Shot Deal was executed. However, that did not happen and once again the owner began eviction proceedings. This meant hiring the lawyer again and another court appearance. This time there would be no bailout. The tenant voluntarily moved a few months later.

Waste of Taxpayer Funds

The end result of using the One-Shot Deal was a waste of our taxpayer funds. The eviction still happened. And the city was out over 6,000.00 dollars. This, my fellow taxpayer, is a problem. I’m all for helping out a person in need. But doing it in a manner that almost guarantees a loss of funds is not acceptable. So we need to correct this weakness.

Making The One-Shot Deal a Better Deal

In giving the one-shot deal or any financial assistance to a tenant in a case of failure to pay rent. The reason for that failure must be addressed and resolved before the One-Shot Deal is offered.

But the owner must have a say in the decision to accept or reject the deal.  This is important because a decision to accept the deal means the eviction proceedings stop. It also means the tenant stays in the apartment with the original lease intact.

Why did this person fall behind?

For instance, if the person has a good-paying job but falls behind on the rent there has to be a reason. Once the reason is found and verified-verification is important–then the next step is to eliminate that reason.

No Choice

In some cases, the cause may be out of the tenant’s hands.  Such as an immediate medical situation that drains funds or a sudden loss of income. In cases like these, no-fault exists. So, giving the One-Shot Deal should be considered.

Note: Even in cases like these the one-shot deal may not help. It is possible that financial needs or hardship require a more permanent solution. I do not know what that solution would be but I do know that there are times a hand up is better than a handout.

Bad Financial Decision

If the person arrived at this situation because of poor decision-making then this must be corrected. New York tenants know that it is difficult to be evicted here. Because of this, a tenant may defer paying rent to do such worthwhile things like:

• Getting that new flat-screen TV.
• Doing their nails for any number of reasons.
• Spending a portion of the rent to go out while thinking, “I’ll pay the full amount later.”

And the list goes on.

If this is the case then the tenant will have to attend a course in making better financial decisions. Once the person passes the course then the One-Shot Deal is given with the following provisions.

The One-Shot Deal Conditions

1. The city will monitor the rent payments making sure that the tenant pays all rents in full for the duration of the lease.
2. The tenant will have to repay the One-Shot Deal if the tenant falls two months behind in the rent.
3. The city will garnish the tenant’s salary at a reasonable amount to repay the One-Shot Deal. Reasonable meaning the repayment of the One-Shot Deal will not cause the tenant great hardship… a little hardship is okay.
4. Should the tenant once again face eviction because of failure to pay rent then the tenant will not be eligible for eviction prevention services.
5. If the tenant pays the rent in full until the lease expires the tenant will not have to repay the One-Shot Deal. But under no condition will the tenant be eligible for the One-Shot Deal again.

These conditions are tough but fair after all, the city is using taxpayer money to assist the tenant. And like the federal government did in their bailout of the auto industry we want to make sure that it doesn’t go to waste. Therefore the tenant will be held accountable. The difference here is that the money is only repaid if the tenant messes up.

I believe that these changes will make the One-Shot Deal when used in eviction cases, fair for all concerned.

You just read: Making the One-Shot Deal Better…

Next: Another Protest Against  Homeless Shelters

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and nothing stated here is legal advice. This article applies to the five boroughs of New York. All information deemed accurate but not guaranteed. Always check the real estate laws in your part of the country.

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