Posted on April 9, 2013 by GISELLE ROUTHIER Today, over 100 groups gathered on the steps of City Hall to launch United to End Homelessness—a coalition of advocates, service providers, faith leaders, and homeless individuals that will work to make homelessness a top priority in the upcoming mayoral election. With over 50,000 people sleeping in shelters each night, including over 20,000 kids, the next mayor will inherit a crisis not seen since the Great Depression. Our President and CEO, Mary Brosnahan highlighted the goals of the newly-formed coalition: “With NYC facing record homelessness, it’s critical that a new mayor and City Council take significant policy steps – together with other stakeholders – to stem the tide of misery in our city. In order to move us forward, it’s imperative that city leaders increase investment in programs and services proven to help move our homeless neighbors towards permanent housing and self-sufficiency. We must expect no less from the next administration and City Council.” United to End Homelessness has drafted a detailed platform of policy recommendations for the next administration, which can be viewed here. Endorsed by over 100 organizations, it includes re-instating priority access for homeless families to federal housing resources, such as public housing and Section 8–a goal the Coalition for the Homeless has long advocated for. It also calls for the creation of a new rental subsidy, increased funding for prevention, investments in supportive housing, and an overall expansion of affordable housing resources for homeless individuals and families. Watch excerpts from the rally here.
