Today’s Read: de Blasio Can Fulfill his Progressive Promise by Retooling his Housing Plan Posted on September 18, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone Mayor de Blasio came into office nearly five years ago with a pledge to end the “tale of two cities” by tackling poverty and inequality. But with a near-record 61,697 New Yorkers sleeping in homeless shelters each night – and thousands more bedding down ..Read More
Americans Want to Believe Jobs Are the Solution to Poverty. They’re Not. Posted on September 11, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times U.S. unemployment is down and jobs are going unfilled. But for people without much education, the real question is, Do those jobs pay enough to live on? Venessa Solivan and her three children fled their last place in June 2015, after a young man was shot and k ..Read More
Tenants’ Right to Counsel May Be Expanded With Levine Legislation Posted on September 12, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone in AMNewYork Councilman Mark Levine plans to introduce legislation Wednesday that would expand the scope of the nascent Right to Counsel measure, which is getting underway in housing court. Last August, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the Right to Counsel, which gives the gove ..Read More
The New High-Rent Districts Posted on August 24, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times For most New Yorkers — about two-thirds of whom are renters — living in the city means accepting the painful reality of ever-increasing rents, which are as much a part of the experience as noisy neighbors, hissing steam radiators and cramped kitchens. Even ..Read More
Drop Off New Backpacks and School Supplies for Annual Drive at Queens Borough Hall Posted on August 22, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone in QNS As the start of the school year approaches, you can help a homeless child get backpacks and school supplies by donating new supplies in Kew Gardens. The first floor of Queens Borough Hall, located at 120-55 Queens Blvd., will serve as a drop-off location for a ..Read More
Coalition Testifies on Proposed Voucher Streamlining Posted on August 22, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone On Tuesday, Coalition for the Homeless and The Legal Aid Society presented testimony to the NYC Human Resources Administration on two proposed rules that will restructure the City’s rent subsidies. Soon after Mayor de Blasio took office in 2014, he created a ..Read More
‘Drop in the Bucket’: The State of Affordable Housing in de Blasio’s New York Posted on August 8, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone in Gothamist Mayor Bill de Blasio took office in 2014 in a city reeling from a housing crisis. It was hemorrhaging tens of thousands of rent-stabilized apartments each year, public housing was crumbling, and a record 53,000 people were staying in city homeless shelters. De ..Read More
New York City’s Affordable Housing Push Leaves Out Key Group — Homeless Individuals and Families Posted on August 7, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone in New York Nonprofit Media Once again, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is touting record affordable housing created by his administration. A press release from his office two weeks ago trumpeted that Fiscal Year 2018 was the “largest year for affordable housing production in city ..Read More
Today’s Read: Homelessness is a Housing Problem Posted on August 6, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone In a comprehensive article for City & State, Ben Adler explains how a lack of affordable housing in New York City has fueled record homelessness. Citing historical data and research-backed policies, Adler writes, “Homelessness is mainly a housing problem ..Read More
