Voucher confusion leaves Brooklyn family on the brink of homelessness

By Shane O’Brien Posted on July 9, 2025

When 80-year-old Carole Bellitti and her 50-year-old son John received word in March confirming they had been pre-approved for the CityFHEPS housing voucher program for low-income households, they thought their prayers had been answered.

Carole and John, who were evicted from their southeast Brooklyn home in March after falling behind in their rent, applied for CityFHEPS through the East Flatbush Homebase Program, a program run by the Department of Homeless Services that aims to prevent homelessness and provide housing stability.