New Report: NYCHA Traps Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Danger by Delaying Emergency Transfers

New York, NY – NYCHA is putting survivors of gender-based violence lives at risk by making them wait years for emergency transfers, trapping them and their children in dangerous environments or forcing them into homeless shelters to wait for a transfer, according to a new report by Legal Services NYC released today, Trapped in Danger: How NYCHA Puts Lives of Gender-Based Violence Survivors at Risk by Delaying Emergency Transfers. The report reveals that the nation’s largest public housing provider has ranked emergency transfers for survivors of gender-based violence in its lowest priority category, next to tenants seeking a transfer because they have empty rooms in their home, live in a seniors building without being elderly, or live more than 90 minutes away from their work. Meanwhile, more than 5,000 NYCHA apartments are sitting vacant due to staffing problems and bureaucratic issues.

“I was assaulted while waiting to be transferred,” said Sarah, a survivor of gender-based violence. “NYCHA didn’t take our safety concerns seriously, leaving me and my children stuck in a dangerous situation. We were told there was nothing they could do. I had to leave with my kids and go to a shelter just to stay safe. This shouldn’t happen to anyone.”

Sarah, a single African American mother of three, was attacked again while waiting over a year for an emergency transfer. After NYCHA failed to expedite her transfer or even provide basic information about her waitlist status, Sarah was forced to leave her home of 10 years and move into a homeless shelter with her children. It was only when Legal Services NYC requested a reasonable accommodation transfer that she jumped from #130 on the transfer list to #2. 

“I have had to wait almost three years, and I still don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Elizabeth, a survivor of gender-based violence. “NYCHA has not helped. I feel so abandoned. We are not documents to be moved from one drawer to another一we are human beings who have to deal with life and very difficult situations.”

Data uncovered by Legal Services NYC via a Freedom of Information Request reveals that nearly 2,000 survivors of gender-based violence are currently waiting for emergency transfers in NYCHA buildings, often for two to three years or more, with no provisional safety measures in place while they wait. Survivors—overwhelmingly Black and Latina women—are left under constant psychological and physical danger as they wait for a transfer.

Meanwhile, NYCHA is sitting on more than 5,000 vacant apartments citywide as the turnover rate to re-rent apartments grows longer due to lack of NYCHA staff, bureaucratic failures, and a lack of urgency. 

Data also uncovered by Legal Services NYC reveals that between 2018 and 2023, NYCHA had over 6,000 staff vacancies who were charged with turning over vacant apartments, directly contributing to the years-long wait for an emergency transfer.

“Survivors of gender-based violence have already suffered some of the worst traumas in their lives, and now, NYCHA is putting them through a new, fresh hell by trapping them in violent situations,” said Luis Henriquez, Litigation Director of Legal Services NYC’s Manhattan Office who co-authored the report. “I can’t think of anything worse. It is completely within NYCHA’s power to change their policies, but they continue to drag their feet, putting the lives of survivors at risk of serious harm or even death. NYCHA can and must do better.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires public housing authorities to give emergency transfers the same priority it gives to other types of emergency transfer requests, including those living with fire damage, gas leaks, natural disasters or folks with life threatening medical issues. NYCHA, however, ranks survivors of gender-based violence among its lowest priorities.

“Survivors should not have to wait months and, in many cases, years, for an emergency transfer, especially while thousands of public housing apartments lay vacant. Escaping from an abuser is often a life-or-death situation一as is shown by the city’s own domestic violence homicide rate statistics,” said Nicole Branca, Executive Director of New Destiny Housing. “We’re incredibly thankful to our partners at Legal Services NYC for putting together this eye-opening report. NYCHA must act quickly to update its emergency transfer policies and fill its staffing shortages so that survivors and their children can live without fear and begin to rebuild their lives.”

The report outlines immediate reforms, including giving emergency transfers a higher ranking, investing in staff to speed up the vacancy turnover rate, hiring a VAWA coordinator to protect survivors, expanding transfer options for survivors, and speeding up the transfers for survivors who are homeless. 

“Survivors of domestic and gender-based violence deserve to be and feel safe, especially in their homes, but NYCHA’s current policies do not prioritize this,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Rather than putting them at risk, NYCHA should facilitate and expedite transfer requests from survivors to ensure they are situated in safe homes without delay. A commitment with significant funding to speed up the repair of vacant NYCHA units was included in our City for All agreement, and we expect the Administration to ensure these apartments are brought back online as homes for New Yorkers. NYCHA must act with urgency to support survivors, and I thank Legal Services NYC for their important report and advocacy.”

“Domestic violence survivors deserve dignity and safety, and yet NYCHA is failing them by de-prioritizing their emergency transfers, enabling dangerous situations where violence can be perpetuated,” said Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala. “These delays overwhelmingly affect Black and Latina women who are looking to the city to help them escape life-threatening situations and rebuild their lives. The city must urgently repair the thousands of NYCHA apartments sitting vacant, for which funding was secured in our City for All agreement, fix the inefficiencies and understaffing at NYCHA, and increase the priority level for emergency transfers of survivors so that they can lead healthy and safe lives.”

“The Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) report of thousands of victims of gender based violence awaiting emergency transfers from NYCHA with little communication until their case comes up for transfer is quite troubling and does not prioritize the safety of the potentially life threatening situations faced by these residents,” said Council Member Chris Banks, Chair of the NYC Council Committee on Public Housing. “As the Chair of the New York City Council’s Committee on Public Housing, I strongly support the recommendations contained in LSNYC’s “Trapped in Danger” report regarding those NYCHA residents seeking an emergency transfer.  I look forward to working with NYCHA’s leadership, impacted residents, advocates, and other stakeholders to ensure that the proper systems are put into place that will ensure that victims of gender based violence residing in NYCHA are provided the best possible living situations that prioritize their safety.”

“NYCHA’s failure to prioritize emergency transfers for survivors of gender-based violence is not only a bureaucratic oversight—it’s a profound moral failure,” said Council Member Dr. Nantasha Williams, Chair of the NYC Council Committee on Civil and Human Rights. “Survivors, overwhelmingly women of color, deserve safety and dignity, not years of fear and neglect. As a city, we have an obligation to address this crisis immediately by implementing the reforms outlined in this report. NYCHA must act now to protect the lives of survivors and their families. This is about justice, equity, and humanity.”

“I am deeply saddened that conditions for domestic violence survivors living in NYCHA have not changed since we began fighting for priority transfers when I became Chair of the NYC Council Committee on Public Housing 3 years ago,” said Council Member Alexa Avilés. “In this moment of extreme housing crisis, we must be investing in the maintenance of our public housing system. It is a matter of public health and safety, as well as a waste of resources within our shelter system to delay transfers. There is no reason that domestic violence survivors should be trapped in dangerous conditions, especially when thousands of NYCHA units are currently sitting vacant. The City must move to fill these vacancies as soon as possible, prioritizing transfers from DV survivors, so we aren’t putting New Yorkers’ lives at risk. I’m standing firmly alongside Legal Services NYC as they advocate for the well-being of thousands of NYCHA residents by demanding immediate change.”

“Every day that NYCHA delays emergency transfers, it puts survivors of gender-based violence and their children at risk of further harm,” said CEO of Sanctuary for Families Hon. Judy Harris Kluger. “Survivors have already endured unimaginable trauma, and being denied the chance to live in safety compounds that pain. The fact that thousands of apartments sit vacant while survivors wait for years is a stark failure of responsibility. NYCHA must prioritize survivors and take immediate action to fill staffing shortages, expedite transfers, and ensure these families can rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.”

“A single, Latinx mother of three that has been waiting for an emergency transfer since March of 2022,” said Violence Intervention Program (VIP Mujeres) counselor-advocate. “NYCHA requested supporting documents to process her request and listed her as a priority case. With the assistance of her counselor, she was able to file a police report and submit an advocacy letter to NYCHA, but it was not sufficient to expedite the process. The client was forced to wait for two years for a transfer but the constant fear of bumping into her abuser led her to move into a family shelter with her children. NYCHA needs to be held accountable, the perpetrator lives in my building, and they didn’t see the danger. No victim or survivor should have to wait to be safe.”

“Sisters In Purple has expressed profound disappointment with the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) decision to place emergency transfers for domestic violence survivors in its lowest priority category,” said Executive Director of Sisters In Purple Angelina Rosado. “This policy neglects the urgent needs of individuals, often mothers with children, who are fleeing abusive situations. NYCHA forces many survivors into the already overburdened shelter system by not prioritizing these transfers, exacerbating their vulnerabilities. Statistics reveal that domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness in New York City, underscoring the critical need for immediate housing solutions. Most survivors are not homeless; they had to leave their homes—there’s a difference. This distinction highlights the importance of viewing these individuals not as typical homeless cases but as victims in dire need of stability and security. Without prompt housing assistance, survivors face prolonged exposure to harmful environments, hindering their path to recovery and independence. NYCHA’s current stance undermines the safety net that should be available for those escaping violence, necessitating a reevaluation of priorities to better support these vulnerable community members.”

“At Healing Hands, we know that safe and stable housing is critical for survivors to heal and rebuild their lives,” said Healing Hands’ Executive Director Alida Tchicamboud. “NYCHA’s failure to prioritize domestic violence survivors for apartment transfers leaves them trapped in harm’s way, with devastating consequences. It’s both an insult and an outrage that over 5,000 apartments sit vacant while New York City endures one of its worst housing crises. For domestic violence survivors, this isn’t just a policy failure—it’s a matter of life and death. NYCHA must immediately address these vacancies and prioritize survivors’ safety and stability.”

“Safe, stable housing is a lifeline for survivors of domestic violence,” said Her Justice Director of Client Services Veronica Gonzalez. “Her Justice has seen firsthand that without access to safe housing, survivors are often forced to remain with their abusers, risking further harm to themselves and their families. Safe housing creates space from an abuser that allows survivors to safely seek support services like legal help, counseling services, and more. NYCHA can contribute to a solution by prioritizing survivors for housing transfers and swiftly turning over vacant apartments to provide the safety and stability survivors and their families urgently need.

“Leaving an abusive relationship is often the most dangerous time for survivors of gender-based violence as it disrupts the vicious cycle of power and control,” said Wendy Espinal, a supervising attorney at Legal Services NYC who worked on the report. “Long wait times to transfer to a safe and affordable unit place survivors and their families in an unconscionable dilemma: they must risk their homes or their lives.  To protect survivors as required, NYCHA must truly prioritize their transfer requests so they may reach safety as quickly as possible without causing further harm – this is imperative.”

“Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of family homelessness in New York City and NYCHA is a vital source of affordable housing for many families,” said Noelle Withers, EVP & Chief Programs Officer at Volunteers of America-Greater New York. “Without swift emergency transfers, survivors are being forced to choose between staying in harm’s way with their abusers or homelessness. NYCHA has the power to change this reality by updating its policies, giving priority to domestic violence survivors who request a transfer, and filling the staffing shortages that are preventing thousands of families in-need from securing safe, stable and affordable housing where they can begin to rebuild their lives.”

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Read the full report