The answer is yes.

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Hi Mary M - I'm not a lawyer, which is why I'm asking this question. It's been my understanding that a "Domestic Partnership" was a relationship device used by states that wanted to circumvent the federal ban on same-sex marriage. In these states, a Domestic Partnership granted all rights and privileges married individuals enjoyed to individuals in a same-sex relationship. I believe it required the filing of a formal declaration and/or document with the state courts.

Now that marriage is a right enjoyed by *all* couples, does a "Domestic Partnership" still have any legal or regulatory standing. Hasn't it been superseded by the right to marry?

I'm asking in the spirit of wondering if the HDFC can today look at a Domestic Partnership and decide that it has the same force and effect of a formal marriage in terms of combining the incomes of two individuals who are *not* legally married.

Thanks!
--- Steve

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This is a potential abuse of HDFCs. We would never consider allowing a partner (whether legal or otherwise) to purchase a separate apartment. Many times people try to buy an apartment in our building and only put down the name of one applicant so they can qualify income-wise, but it's easy to find out that this is bogus. HDFCs have strict income guidelines and they should be adhered to.

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Hi MaryM - Thanks for your thoughts on what is included as "income" for the purpose of HDFC residency. I did a little research, and found an official NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development booklet from April, 2018, that provids a definition of "family" when calculating income limits.

On page 5-1, the definition of a family is, "A husband, wife, son, daughter, unborn child (pregnancy must be documented), stepson, stepdaughter, father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, brother, sister, nephew, niece, uncle, aunt, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or any other family member or person for whom the head of household can prove legal guardianship or a relationship based on dependency, blood, marriage or domestic partnership."

So the answer to the OP's original question is as MaryM stated. The OP might want to download the booklet because it contains a lot of information about HDFC rules and regulations.

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