We would never take a case where the tenant was renting out a rent-stabilized apartment on airbnb, and they would probably be overincome anyway. Buyouts only really happen in rent-stabilized apartments, and making cases take longer typically only reduces the amount landlords are willing to pay. All these issues are more complicated in practice, but the larger mission is to stop homelessness where possible.

What do you mean by "gaming the system?"

I am one of those attorneys. The issue isn't so much the salaries of me and my colleagues, but rather that hiring hasn't caught up with the eligible demand. The city opened this program to full citywide access during the throws of the Pandemic and there are simply not enough attorneys to take all the cases. Accordingly, we use some discretion about what cases we take on. In some cases, the matter can resolved with some basic legal advice rather than full representation. I should mention that my employer only operates in Brooklyn and Staten Island.