Posted on January 22, 2019 by Mark Hallum in TimesLedger TimesLedger, By Mark Hallum State Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi is calling for the executive budget to include a critical program he claims will stop the growth of homelessness in its tracks in a recent letter Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Home Stability Support is not just aimed at saving individuals at risk of homelessness from eviction, but focuses on families who are falling on hard times and facing rising cost of living across the state. Hevesi hopes to see the plan fully funded from the governor’s office in the coming years. “Homelessness in New York state, already at the worst levels since the Great Depression, continues to grow rapidly and the failure to address this crisis has severe human and financial consequences for the people of New York,” Hevesi said. “This program will immediately stop the growth of homelessness and provide an opportunity for some currently homeless families and individuals to be stably housed. Once we stop the growth of the crisis, we can engage in policy discussions about how to enable these New Yorkers to leave public assistance behind and escape poverty.” According to a press release from Home Stability Support, there are more than 152,839 homeless children in the state with 62,333 children entering homelessness since 2011 alone. Hevesi claims that homelessness can create a cycle of mental illness that can affect their entire lives.
