City is Held in Contempt of Court for Continuing to Enforce Unconstitutional Law Posted on April 27, 2010 by GISELLE ROUTHIER For years, New York has continually enforced laws prohibiting loitering as a basis for arresting the homeless and the poor for panhandling, sleeping on the streets, or otherwise being present in a public space, despite the fact that these laws were ruled unco ..Read More
Remembering a Homeless Hero Posted on April 26, 2010 by PATRICK MARKEE In both life and death, far to many people walked past Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax. But he’ll be remembered for heroically giving his life in an attempt to protect a woman from an attack in the Jamaica section of Queens. The New York Times and other local ne ..Read More
Debunking the Myths about Charging Homeless Families Rent for Shelter Posted on April 23, 2010 by GISELLE ROUTHIER A misinformed blog in the Huffington Post by Covenant House executive director, Jerome Kilbane fails to address the reality of the City’s plan to charge homeless families rent for shelter. Kilbane praises charging rent as a way to save for independent ..Read More
Charging Rent for a Homeless Shelter? Help Stop Mayor Bloomberg’s Absurd Plan Posted on April 22, 2010 by PATRICK MARKEE Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to charge homeless families “rent” for shelter has earned national ridicule. Salon magazine featured the Mayor’s plan in their “This Week in Crazy” column. And a Newsweek writer labeled it the & ..Read More
National Low Income Housing Coalition Releases “Out of Reach 2010” Posted on April 22, 2010 by GISELLE ROUTHIER This week the National Low Income Housing Coalition released its yearly report, Out of Reach 2010. The report presents a stunning picture of how truly unaffordable New York is to low-income families–a trend that is also pervasive across the country. The ..Read More
Homeless Services Commissioner Hess Resigns Posted on April 20, 2010 by GISELLE ROUTHIER Yesterday, the Commissioner of the Department of Homeless Services, Robert Hess, announced his resignation. His replacement, announced by the Mayor, will be Seth Diamond, who has been working in the Human Resources Administration. His initial statements seem ..Read More
Elected Officials and Advocates Gathered to Oppose Rent for Shelter Posted on April 16, 2010 by GISELLE ROUTHIER Yesterday, elected officials, advocates, and homeless individuals gathered on the steps of City Hall to express outrage at the Mayor’s plan to start charging homeless families rent for shelter. The turnout was great. Elected officials included Public Adv ..Read More
New York to Finally End Shameful Homelessness ‘Solution’ Posted on April 13, 2010 by PATRICK MARKEE By Lindsey Davis, Director of Crisis Services, Coalition for the Homeless Originally published on the Huffington Post I’ve seen 25, 40, even 50 men, crammed into a small two- or three-family home filled with illegally converted rooms. Eight to 12 men to ..Read More
The worst idea ever? Posted on April 12, 2010 by MARY BROSNAHAN We’ve seen lots of bad ideas, but this one might take the cake. Mayor Bloomberg is once again planning to charge rent in the city’s homeless shelters. At a time of record homelessness and foreclosures, thousands of homeless families, veterans, ev ..Read More