Richard Gere Says Begging on New York’s Streets Was a “Profound Experience” Posted on July 4, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in The Hollywood Reporter Actor Richard Gere revealed how he made “two and a half dollars” panhandling on a New York street while filming test scenes for his role as a homeless man in Oren Moverman’s Time Out of Mind. Gere and the film crew made an effort to practice ..Read More
New York City Works to Improve Safety of Homeless Shelter Workers Posted on July 6, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times The huge, turreted castle that looms over Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn is the first stopover for many of New York City’s homeless men. Some call it Castle Grayskull after the forbidding fortress in the Masters of the Universe stories. The building, a former ar ..Read More
Homeless Given One Day to Leave Long-Term Shelter Posted on July 2, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in Pix11 Gentrification can be a difficult issue because it can improve communities while also sometimes making conditions for the poorest and most vulnerable residents even worse. A clear case of this is found at a large apartment building in Brooklyn where the landlo ..Read More
Rent Freeze! Rent Guidelines Board Approves Historic Zero Percent Increase Posted on June 29, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Observer The Rent Guidelines Board voted for a historic rent freeze on rent-regulated units on Monday night, the first time in its 46 year history that it has done so. The Board approved a zero percent increase for one-year leases and a 2 percent increase on two-year l ..Read More
Will Marriage Equality Cause a Spike in Homeless LGBT Youth? Posted on June 30, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in Advocate Whether it’s on cable news or Facebook or in our living rooms, the country is engrossed in a conversation about same-sex marriage, and so-called religious exemptions or legalized discrimination. James Moran of the Los Angeles LGBT Center recalls a recent ..Read More
Cuomo’s Board Will Urge ‘Substantial’ Wage Increase for Fast-Food Workers Posted on June 29, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in New York Daily News Workers at fast-food restaurants in New York appear headed for a super-sized pay raise. A three-member panel formed by Gov. Cuomo in May to examine fast-food industry wages made it clear Monday they will recommend a “substantial increase” for workers but n ..Read More
More Proof That Housing Homeless People Actually Saves Money and Works Posted on June 25, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in Huffington Post San Francisco continues to clamp down on its anti-homelessness policies, an approach that has proven callous, ineffective and costly, a recent study concluded. A new report released by the Coalition on Homelessness found that San Francisco has passed more bans ..Read More
Affordable Housing, Racial Isolation Posted on June 29, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times A Supreme Court ruling last week forcefully reminded state and local governments that the Fair Housing Act of 1968 forbids them from spending federal housing money in ways that perpetuate segregation. Communities across the country have been doing exactly that ..Read More
Home is What Lasts in Your Heart: Camp Homeward Bound Posted on June 24, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in U.S. Department of State I loved being up in New York to kick off the second summer Route J-1 roadtrip. After a day of inspiration at Liberty Island, I headed upstate to Bear Mountain, NY. Just an hour or so outside of the Big Apple, and you are in pristine nature. Since 1984, this be ..Read More
