May 5, 2014 For Immediate Release: May 5, 2014 Contact: Dan Levitan, (646) 200-5315 Today Mayor de Blasio released his highly anticipated housing plan, ‘HOUSING NEW YORK’: A FIVE-BOROUGH, 10-YEAR HOUSING PLAN TO PROTECT AND EXPAND AFFORDABILITY. Coalition for the Homeless’s President and CEO, Mary Brosnahan, has released the following statement in response: “The homelessness crisis in New York City is at its core a crisis of affordability. The Mayor’s impressive plan to build and preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing will be a critical piece of the response needed to reduce the record levels of homelessness Mayor de Blasio inherited. “Most importantly, the Mayor’s plan shifts funding from costly homeless shelters to stable, affordable homes for homeless families, and makes clear that a new rental subsidy program and NYCHA and Section 8 resources will be committed to reducing homelessness. It also emphasizes the need for additional units of supportive housing for New Yorkers with severe and persistent mental illnesses and physical limitations. “The challenge now is for Mayor de Blasio to move quickly on a more detailed, comprehensive plan to successfully move homeless New Yorkers into affordable homes – finally reversing the unprecedented levels of homelessness in New York City.”
