May 24, 2016 The New York Times, By Mary Brosnahan and Joshua Goldfein To the Editor: Re “New Priority Means Fewer Beds in City’s Shelters” (editorial, May 17): While it is indeed deplorable that the Obama administration has proposed cuts to funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for emergency shelter in New York City at a time of record need, there is no possibility that these cuts will cause needy people to “face eviction” from shelter. New York City has a right to shelter, established by litigation brought by the Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless. This law compels the city to provide shelter to New Yorkers who are homeless by “reason of physical, mental or social dysfunction.” Both the city and the state entered into an agreement to provide lifesaving shelter more than 30 years ago, regardless of whether a particular funding source is available. While we share HUD’s goal of securing permanent housing for New York’s homeless, the best way to achieve that is with more resources from all levels of government to increase the availability of decent, affordable housing and accompanying services when necessary, not cuts to existing programs. MARY BROSNAHAN JOSHUA GOLDFEIN New York Ms. Brosnahan is president and chief executive of the Coalition for the Homeless. Mr. Goldfein is a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society’s Homeless Rights Project.
