Hundreds of Bronx and city residents received housing hope Monday when the city ended its long moratorium on new Section 8 vouchers.

The New York City Housing Authority gave out more than 200 vouchers for apartments citywide. The organization gave the rent subsidies out after screening about 200,000 applicants since reopening the process in February. NYCHA stopped giving out new vouchers around December of 1994 when the government cut funding.

Recipients, who have six months to use the vouchers, came to the Borough of Manhattan College to learn about Section 8 changes and procedures. The city also introduced landlord incentives, including electronic payments and allowing landlords to list available units on the Internet.

NYCHA says the revival of the program is due to $100 million in restored government funding. Housing officials plan to give out vouchers two times a week until about 22,000 vouchers in total are distributed.

Related information:New York City Housing Authority