Once-a-Year Homeless Count Draws Criticism, Defenders Posted on February 9, 2016 by Jacquelyn Simone in Associated Press Over the past few weeks, thousands of clipboard-toting volunteers have fanned out across some of the nation’s largest cities, tasked with a deceptively complex job: counting the number of homeless people sleeping on the streets. They’ve had to do i ..Read More
Poverty Justice Fellows Fight for Tenants in Housing Court Posted on February 12, 2016 by Jacquelyn Simone in New York Law Journal On a recent Thursday morning in Bronx Housing Court, Chidera Atuegbu, an attorney for tenants, scanned a packed, noisy hallway. She could not find her client, nor could she locate opposing counsel in her client’s case. “Rappaport! Rappaport!” ..Read More
Counting NYC’s Homeless Posted on February 8, 2016 by Jacquelyn Simone in Fox 5 NY New York City is experiencing a homeless crisis. Overnight, city and federal officials joined more than 3,000 volunteers to conduct the yearly HOPE count to determine how many people are living on the streets. HOPE stands for Homeless Outreach Population Estim ..Read More
Obama Will Seek $11 Billion for Homeless Families Posted on February 8, 2016 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times After making progress in reducing homelessness among veterans, the Obama administration is turning to the larger and more complicated challenge of homelessness among families with young children. In his 2017 budget, to be presented on Tuesday, President Obama ..Read More
NYC’s Controversial New Affordable Housing Proposals, Explained Posted on February 8, 2016 by Jacquelyn Simone in Curbed Over the next two days, the City Council will debate two rezoning proposals introduced by the Mayor de Blasio’s administration: Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) and Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA). Both proposals are part of the mayor̵ ..Read More
Homeless Young People of New York, Overlooked and Underserved Posted on February 5, 2016 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times Hundreds of homeless young people are in plain sight every day in New York City. They are sitting on the floor at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and charging their phones as if they were college students awaiting a bus home. They are huddled on the sidewalk, ..Read More
How to End New York City’s Homeless Crisis Posted on February 5, 2016 by Jacquelyn Simone in Crain's New York Business As the icy grip of winter takes hold, thousands of homeless New Yorkers seek refuge in doorways and subways or stand atop grates to catch what little heat they can to survive another night. In the dwindling hours this Monday, more than 3,000 volunteers—inclu ..Read More
Homeless Young Adults Can Fall Through a Crack in Shelter System Posted on February 3, 2016 by Jacquelyn Simone in City Limits Turning 21 is a milestone with a different meaning for a homeless youth in New York. When that day arrives, he or she usually must leave the city’s youth shelter system, and they also lose many essential services. If they haven’t found permanent ho ..Read More
As NY Lawmakers Review Budget, Workers Rally for $15 Wage Posted on February 3, 2016 by Jacquelyn Simone in Associated Press Low-wage workers from around New York state gathered at the Capitol on Wednesday to support Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s call for a $15-an-hour minimum wage, a proposal that continues to dominate the year’s legislative work. Sandra Luke makes $9 as a wheelchair att ..Read More