The city’s Housing Authority wrongfully terminated thousands of low-income residents from federally funded Section 8 housing over a two-year period, Legal Aid attorneys claimed in a recent City Council hearing.

The problem, they say, can be traced back to 2008 when NYCHA replaced housing counselors with a centralized calling center to handle annual re-certifications for Section 8 tenants, according to Legal Aid attorney Judith Goldiner.

"We are really seeing a huge number of what I would call administrative failures on the housing authority's part which, sounds really benign except that it's leading to people losing their homes, being sued in housing court, getting evicted,” Goldiner said.

Families that receive Section 8 have 30 percent of their income go toward rent. The rest of the balance is covered by the subsidy.

Legal Aid filed two lawsuits against the Housing Authority on behalf of more than 30 tenants on September 27 alleging NYCHA's administrative errors have lead to wrongful Section 8 terminations as well as rent miscalculations causing many families to pay more than what's required.  

Raquel Collazo, a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits, said she and her 10-year-old son are on the verge of being evicted from their two-bedroom apartment in Ridgewood, Queens.

Collazo is a single mom who works at Toys R Us in Times Square. She said that despite re-certifying on time she was terminated from Section 8 last December.

"I've contacted the customer care number several times,” she said. “I've been given the run around.”  Without the subsidy, Collazo says there's no way she can afford her $1300 a month rent.  

The Housing Authority said it could not comment on the alleged problems because of the pending litigation. Officials also declined to attend a City Council hearing on the issue on September 27.

Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, who held the hearing, said she was very upset about NYCHA's absence.

"They mentioned the lawsuit but under different leadership they've come to my committee hearings even when they're being sued,"said Mendez. She cited a hearing on malfunctioning elevators held in the wake of serious accidents in NYCHA complexes.

Goldiner said NYCHA's attempt to computerize its paper files is also exacerbating the problem because she said NYCHA staff has been unable to produce files and paperwork when questioned about errors.

"Files are lost, files are missing files have not been scanned...it's really a mess," Goldiner said.

This week, Legal Aid is set to ask a judge for a preliminary injunction that would halt all terminations until the lawsuit is resolved.