Housing & Rent · Surprise rank #80
Facing Eviction or Temporary Shelter? NY Public Assistance Can Pay Necessary Storage Fees
New York Public Assistance rules provide a storage-fee allowance when storing household belongings is necessary because of specified housing emergencies and no other storage option is available.
Who
Public Assistance households facing situations such as relocation, eviction or temporary shelter when they need to store belongings and have no other storage option.
What to do
Start here: Request storage assistance from the local social services district before renting or expanding a storage unit and provide eviction/shelter documentation and the storage quote.
Eligibility: Public Assistance eligibility must continue, the housing/storage circumstances must continue and no other storage option can be available. Stored property must be reasonable for the household and generally have been in the household's possession when the need arose.
What you get
A local social services district can pay necessary commercial storage costs for reasonable household belongings while qualifying circumstances continue.
Benefit: Payment of approved storage fees while Public Assistance eligibility and the qualifying circumstances continue.
Possible value: Varies by local storage limits, household size and duration.
Good to know
Important: The allowance is not an open-ended storage subsidy and local districts apply cost/size standards. Prior approval is important.
Availability: Active regulatory allowance
Why people miss it: Storage assistance is buried in Public Assistance regulations even though losing belongings during eviction or shelter stays can be a major financial loss.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026