When Three-Quarter Houses Close, Tenants Have Nowhere Else to Turn

WNYC/Gothamist explores what happens when the “necessary evil” preventing homelessness falls apart. Reporter Lylla Younes describes in detail the closing of three-quarter houses operated by Interline, after operators were indicted for Medicaid fraud. MFJ Attorney Matthew Main commented that “While the exploitative practices of some three-quarter house operators are shamefully unjust, tenants have always emphasized that the houses provide vital housing of last resort for people who might otherwise be homeless.” While recent indictments for Medicaid fraud are evidence of the state’s efforts to clean up the industry, the article shows that insufficient planning and coordination by state and city agencies are adding to the homelessness crisis. “We heard of situations where people were really down and out because of the instability that was caused [by the Interline indictment]. Relapse can result in real tragedy in the midst of the opioid crisis,” said Main.