Coalition for the Homeless Statement on Inauguration of Governor Kathy Hochul

NEW YORK — The following statement from the Coalition for the Homeless may be attributed to Shelly Nortz, Deputy Executive Director for Policy, in response to the inauguration of New York Governor Kathy Hochul on August 24, 2021:

“The Coalition for the Homeless offers our congratulations and best wishes to Governor Hochul as she assumes her new role as governor of the State of New York. We look forward to the improvements Gov. Hochul will bring to New York City and State, especially when it comes to addressing homelessness, meeting the need for more affordable and supportive housing, and fixing our broken public mental health care system.

Under Andrew Cuomo’s tenure as governor, homelessness rose to record highs – fueled in part by his prison-to-shelter pipeline – and access to affordable and supportive housing as well as mental health care stalled. He leaves a growing crisis behind.

We cannot overstate the importance of having elected leaders who support the most vulnerable New Yorkers with the urgency, persistence, resources, and compassion required to make a real difference in their lives. Governor Hochul has a golden opportunity to take the decisive steps needed to fix our homelessness crisis, including extending the pandemic eviction moratorium, getting billions of dollars in emergency rental assistance into the hands of tenants and landlords, investing in supportive and affordable permanent housing, rebuilding our public mental health system, and collaborating with lawmakers and advocates. We stand ready to help.”