The City's own data confirm it: homelessness in New York City has reached record levels and our City's children are paying the price. There are now nearly 17,000 children in New York City shelters, thanks in large part by Mayor Bloomberg's use of expensive time-limited rental subsidies over effective, federally-funded permanent housing.
Send a letter to Mayor Bloomberg right now, asking him to use what we know works - permanent, affordable housing - to help these kids find a home. Ask him to immediately being using one in three available NYCHA public housing apartments and Section 8 vouchers to help homeless families and individuals move from shelters to permanent housing.
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Mayor Bloomberg announced on June 4th that the City would back down on its plan to charge homeless families "rent" for shelter. Instead, with State approval, they will implement savings plans for families with income. This is a victory for the thousands of New Yorkers who are working every day to get out of shelter and back on their feet. Instead of thowing away upwards of $900 a month in shelter rent, families will now put a portion of their income in an interest-bearing savings account that they can access upon their exit from shelter. Thanks to the leadership of Assemblyman Keith Wright and State Senator Daniel Squadron, along with Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson, this agreement creates a common sense solution that will help families move out of shelter once and for all. Thanks to the more than 6,000 people who signed the petition to end rent for shelter!
Rosa Bracero was on track to graduate until her family's homeless shelter application process forced her to miss her Regents exam. She took a make up exam, but school officials would not accept it, and moreover, might not let her graduate. In large part because of the pressure and attention the Coalition was able to garner for Rosa's story, David Steiner, the New York State Education Commission, took swift action to move forward with her graduation. With your help, hundreds of letters were sent urging Mayor Bloomberg to take a stand and change policies that hurt homeless students. YOU gave a voice to the 16,000 homeless children in New York City who face hardships like Rosa's every day. Because of YOU, Rosa will now have a brighter future! Thank you!
Let's keep the momentum going! This success demonstrates what can happen when the Coalition fights back. Please take a minute to participate in our other action campaigns to help us continue to improve the policies affecting homeless and low-income men, women, and children.