September 23, 2020 Coalition for the Homeless By Coalition for the Homeless NEW YORK, NY – The following statement released today by Coalition for the Homeless is in response to the proposed permanent changes of MTA’s Rules of Conduct: “The MTA is once again slapping a band-aid on a broken system. Homeless New Yorkers use subways and buses for transportation just like anyone else. Some take refuge in the transit system for the simple reason that they have nowhere better or safer to go. Targeting, harassing, and criminalizing these vulnerable New Yorkers in the MTA system will only exacerbate suffering during a global pandemic – one that is already taking a deadlier toll on homeless New Yorkers. The rules being voted on today are nothing more than an extension of the other counterproductive NIMBY responses we’ve seen that are focused on making homelessness invisible, rather than providing real help to those in the greatest need. No real progress can be made until the City and State work together on a real plan to provide enough permanent affordable housing to end this travesty,” said Giselle Routhier, Policy Director at Coalition for the Homeless.
