Women charged with posing as domestic violence victims in attempt to win rent subsidies

Six women have been charged with faking domestic abuse cases in order to obtain government-subsidized New York apartments. The city’s subsidy program through Section 8 allows tenants to pay 30 percent of their income towards rent, while the rest is covered through federal funding. Only domestic violence victims, intimidated witnesses from criminal cases, and those referred by the city’s Administration for Children’s Services are eligible for the subsidies. Though it is unclear whether the women collaborated, similarities in their applications drew the Housing Authority to investigate further. They allegedly submitted forged police reports and court orders that they hoped would bump them ahead of thousands of others in line for the Section 8 program. Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau is prosecuting the case.

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