Union H.E.L.P. provides a lifeline to hotel and gaming workers struggling to stay in their homes

Through Union H.E.L.P. (Hotel Employees Lend-a-Hand Program), our union has administered half a million dollars in direct relief to help hotel and gaming workers avoid eviction, foreclosure, and heating shut-offs.

What started as a program to help union members stay in their homes during the pandemic has since become an ongoing resource for members facing eviction or foreclosure amidst our region’s affordability crisis.

In 2020, tens of thousands of hotel workers in the New York City area faced sudden, prolonged layoffs. In response, our union used every tool at our disposal to help our members keep their healthcare, to make sure they could access unemployment and relief funds, and to pressure hotels to reopen and bring our members back to work. As union members began facing housing emergencies, we funded Union H.E.L.P. to provide direct assistance to those in need. Union H.E.L.P. assisted homeowners facing foreclosure to pay their mortgages, renters facing eviction to pay their rent, and members receiving final shut-off notices to pay their heating bills.

Even as our members returned to work, the need for Union H.E.L.P. remained. NYC tourism rises and falls throughout the year and members facing seasonal layoffs continued to come to the union for assistance. Nearly all who received financial assistance from Union H.E.L.P. (98%) were affected by layoffs in the hotel industry at the time of their housing emergency.

"January and February are slow seasons. At my hotel, that meant layoffs," said Delpha, a Room Attendant at a Midtown hotel. "When I'm laid off, I still have to pay rent. In the winter of 2023, I fell behind on rent while I was laid off. At the time, unemployment wasn't nearly enough to cover it. I didn't know what to do. Thankfully I was able to go to my union for help – to get by while I was waiting to be recalled to work."

Over $300,000 in direct aid for renters

To date, over 300 members have been able to remain in their apartments thanks to relief from Union H.E.L.P. – while others have been able to leave homeless shelters and find permanent housing.

In 2024, when Ms. Garcia gave birth to her son, she was living in a shelter in Brooklyn. “I was hunting for an apartment while going to work and taking care of my infant son,” recalled Ms. Garcia. When she finally found a Brooklyn apartment, our union provided her with $1,000 towards the security deposit and first month’s rent. “During my pregnancy and postpartum I saved what I could to help in the future. But with the help of the union I was able to be offered some relief for a fresh new beginning,” she shared. “The H.E.L.P. Program was a source of relief for me at a time when everything else was so hard. That money helped me to move from the shelter into an apartment where I could raise my son.”

Tackling the housing crisis from multiple angles

While Union H.E.L.P. remains a critical resource for hotel and gaming workers struggling with seasonal layoffs and the sky-high cost of living, it is just one of the ways that our union has been addressing the affordability crisis.

In 2023, our union created a brand-new Housing Fund in the GRIWA, our regional master contract covering members outside of New York City. This summer, nearly 100 employers signed on to the GRIWA contract will start paying into this Housing Fund, and once sufficiently funded, it will become another tool to address the rising cost of housing and the prohibitively high cost of entry to homeownership. Our union will be fighting to win contributions to the new Housing Fund for our New York City members in the upcoming negotiations for our master contract this summer.

The housing crisis is too large for us to solve through a union contract or relief payments alone

For years, we’ve worked closely with non-profit allies to ensure local laws protect tenants and homeowners over the interests of the short-term rental industry. And we are proud to be expanding that partnership. In the coming months, we will be partnering with our allies at Legal Aid and Churches United for Fair Housing to offer homeowner and renter support at our Brooklyn and Harlem Health Centers. These twice-monthly walk-in clinics will not just be a resource for our members, but also for our neighbors in the surrounding communities who are struggling to afford New York. Whether it’s navigating mortgage relief and deferral programs, connecting homeowners with legal support to avoid foreclosure, or providing information on affordable housing opportunities, counselors will be able to give step-by-step guidance for those who need it.   

We also need partners in government who are willing to dedicate resources and implement creative solutions to address the region’s affordability crisis. In New York City and at the state level in Albany, our union has been a vocal and active proponent of policies that invest billions to increase the housing supply and create almost 1 million new units of housing. This includes supporting the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, Governor Hochul’s housing plan in the 2024 and 2025 budgets, and, most recently, the Governor’s ‘Let Them Build’ proposal to cut unnecessary red tape and expedite the approval process for new affordable housing projects.

We’re committed to continue working with state and local officials to make our collective dream for a more affordable city come to life. On March 10, 2026, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani suspended lien sales – an important step forward to protect homeowners from predatory debt collectors. Looking ahead, we will continue to work together with legislators to identify the most prevalent issues plaguing homeowners in their districts – from foreclosure to speculative pricing creating barriers for first-time buyers – and then brainstorming and collaborating to pass legislation that will confront New York's housing crisis. Despite what Airbnb lobbyists claim, legislation that cuts back on short-term rental regulation doesn’t actually provide sustainable relief for existing or prospective homeowners. Together with our partners in government, there are real opportunities to solve the housing crisis afflicting New York's working class. 

Facing eviction or foreclosure? How to apply for H.E.L.P.:

If you are a union member facing eviction or foreclosure, you may be eligible for assistance from Union H.E.L.P. Members seeking assistance should come to the union office in-person at 709 8th Avenue, 2nd floor (Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM), contact us via email at [email protected], or call the union office at (212) 245-8100 and ask to speak to a union representative about Union H.E.L.P.

Please see a summary of the current program rules below:

• If applying for $1,000 to prevent eviction or foreclosure: You must be a member of HTC or a Local 6 Club who is currently facing eviction or foreclosure. You must submit a copy of your final notice of eviction, eviction warrant, or notice of foreclosure as well as the information for your landlord/creditor in your application.

• If applying for $500 to prevent heating shut-offs: You must be a member of HTC or a Local 6 Club. You must submit a final notice from your utility company that your heat is in danger of being shut off or has already been shut off.

Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.