Jailed for Being Broke Posted on June 23, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in Rolling Stone A little over a week ago, a 23-year-old construction worker in the Bronx named Jeff Rivera got in an argument with his wife, from whom he is separated. During the argument, he struck her door, pushing in the screen. Rivera was arrested and brought to court, wh ..Read More
Homeless, Wheelchair-Bound Brooklyn Teen Graduates at Top of Class, is Headed to NYU on Scholarship Posted on June 21, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in New York Daily News A resilient Brooklyn teen is going from a homeless shelter to a dorm at New York University. Johileny Meran Almonte has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Her mother died in 2010. Johileny has been living in a homeless she ..Read More
62 or Older? You May Qualify for Apartment Rent Freeze Posted on June 21, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in SI Live Staten Islanders age 62 or older — who rent apartments and meet certain requirements — may be eligible for two-year freezes on their monthly rent under the NYC Rent Freeze Program for Seniors (SCRIE). The program covers apartments that are rent-sta ..Read More
Mapping the Rental Crisis New York’s Poorest Families Face Posted on June 17, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in Curbed If you don’t make a lot of money, then a lot of New York City apartments are just not going to be within your reach. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the current state of the rental market, and how much rents have risen in recent years. But ..Read More
McCray Roadmap Will Address Mental Health at Rikers Posted on June 17, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in Capital New York First lady Chirlane McCray said on Tuesday that her forthcoming “Roadmap for Mental Health” will address mental health issues at the Rikers Island jail complex, stressing the importance of preventive measures like diversion centers and supportive h ..Read More
New York Comptroller, Taking Aim at ‘Three-Quarter’ Homes, Urges City Agencies to End Referrals Posted on June 15, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times The office of the New York City comptroller plans to send letters on Tuesday to City Hall and various agencies demanding that they take steps to ensure that people in need of housing are not sent to illegal boarding homes, known as “three-quarter” houses, ..Read More
When Feeding the Homeless Runs Afoul of the Law Posted on June 13, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in NPR Every Tuesday night, Joan Cheever hits the streets of San Antonio to feed the homeless. In a decade, she’s rarely missed a night. But on a recent, windy Tuesday, something new happens. The police show up. “He says we have to have a permit,” C ..Read More
It’s Not Just About Bad Choices Posted on June 13, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times Whenever I write about people who are struggling, I hear from readers who say something like: Folks need to stop whining and get a job. It’s all about personal responsibility. In a 2014 poll, Republicans were twice as likely to say that people are poor becau ..Read More
Population of Homeless Adults in Shelters Will Grow by 59% in 5 Years if Gov. Cuomo Doesn’t Give More Aid, Report Says Posted on June 11, 2015 by Sarah Murphy in New York Daily News An alarming new study found the record numbers of homeless single adults in shelters will grow by a whopping 59% in five years if the city doesn’t get 30,000 units of supportive housing — nearly eight times the amount Gov. Cuomo has proposed. The Coalition ..Read More
