New York is facing a potential explosion in homelessness Posted on June 30, 2020 by Elizabeth Lepro Before losing her job this past March, Dawn Miller would spend her entire paycheck on rent each month. She’s lived in her Flatbush, Brooklyn apartment for more than a decade, and until the coronavirus pandemic hit, had been working at a food kiosk at Brooklyn College. She hasn’t paid rent since being laid off, and though she’s been able to stay in her home though a state moratorium on evictions, she’s facing thousands of dollars in back rent she says she can’t possibly pay back on her own. She’s unsure if her old job will return and hasn’t found a new one.
Affordable Housing Lottery Odds Worst for Those Who Can Afford the Least Posted on June 29, 2020 by Elizabeth Lepro The city’s housing agency this month upgraded its online application system to make seeking an affordable apartment easier — but the odds to get a lease remain worst for those with the least. A review by THE CITY of more than 18 million applications to the NYC Housing Connect system between January 2014 and March 2019 shows that for every one of the 21,382 new apartments built as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York plan, 314 eligible applications poured in. The lower the rent — and the lower the income of the household applying — the more people applied per apartment.
June 24th COVID-19 Virtual Memorial Posted on June 25, 2020 by Elizabeth Lepro On June 24th, several New York City faith leaders and homeless advocacy and services groups held the second virtual memorial service to honor the many homeless and formerly homeless New Yorkers, as well as those serving them, who have lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to those who joined us for our memorial services. To watch a recording of the first virtual memorial on May 20th, click here and to watch our final memorial on September 23rd, click here.
