Posted on March 2, 2010 by GISELLE ROUTHIER Over the past year, New York City has seen the highest number of homeless men, women, and children since the City started keeping track 25 years ago–over 39,000 individuals in shelter each night. Yet amidst this crisis, Governor Paterson has issued a budget proposal that would cut more than $100 million from homeless services in New York City. Disturbingly, $88 million of this would be cut from adult shelter funding, a population that has grown rapidly over the past year. Unbelievably, the Paterson administration claims that this money will be made up by forcing homeless adults to pay for the cost of shelter–either from paltry disability benefits or low-wage jobs. Governor Paterson is looking to balance the budget on the backs of the poorest, most vulnerable people in the state. At the same time, he would also be leaving New York City between a rock and a hard place. The City would have to choose between forcing NYC taxpayers to make up for the lost funding or closing multiple shelters and forcing homeless men and women onto the streets. But we CAN express our disapproval directly to the Governor by writing him a letter. Visit our “Take Action” page and tell Governor Paterson to abandon this inhuman and irresponsible proposal.
