Report: 1 in 4 NYCHA tenants are without bank accounts

According to a new City Council report released Wednesday, one in four New York City Housing Authority tenants does not have a bank account. Council member Eric Goia says that poverty is common within

News 12 Staff

May 22, 2008, 4:34 PM

Updated 5,979 days ago

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According to a new City Council report released Wednesday, one in four New York City Housing Authority tenants does not have a bank account. Council member Eric Goia says that poverty is common within the NYCHA and banks are rare, leaving many tenants to rely on check-cashing centers.
?They left the neighborhood and weren't in walking distance so when they took their business, people stopped using them,? says Reginald Bowman.According to the report, other reasons people cited for not having an account include cultural barriers, such as not speaking English, and not trusting banks. Council members recommend opening up banks in NYCHA retail space and expanding financial literacy education opportunities for NYCHA tenants.?We don?t want NYCHA to stand for No You Can?t Have an Account,? says City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.