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
When I Was Homeless: How It Scarred Me, and What the City Must Do to Help More People Lift Themselves Out Posted on August 11, 2018 by Nicole Edine in New York Daily News “Forget this. I’m going home.” It’s the little things that remind you how big your blessings are. As much as I wanted to go to ShopRite and get the one-pound bag of baby carrots on sale for 50 cents, it had been a long, hot day and I was tired and swea ..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
Homelessness is a Housing Problem Posted on August 5, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone in City & State On a rainy morning in May, around 30 homeless people and a handful of activists gathered on the steps of New York City Hall to call on local government to protect homeless New Yorkers trying to find permanent housing. Specifically, they opposed a proposed cut ..Read More
As Affordable Housing Crisis Grows, HUD Sits on the Sidelines Posted on July 27, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times WASHINGTON — The country is in the grips of an escalating housing affordability crisis. Millions of low-income Americans are paying 70 percent or more of their incomes for shelter, while rents continue to rise and construction of affordable rental apartments ..Read More
Hevesi Urges Creation of Safe Housing for Human Trafficking Survivors Posted on July 24, 2018 by Jacquelyn Simone in Times Ledger Brave survivors of human trafficking shared their personal stories on the steps of City Hall last week after state Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) and state Sen. Martin Golden (R-Bay Ridge) alongside advocacy groups urged Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign a ..Read More
