Posted on January 10, 2019 in Press Release Press Release, Homelessness Crisis Still at Record Levels, with More Than 23,000 Children and All-Time Record 17,000 Single Adults Sleeping in Shelters Each Night NEW YORK, NY – The following statement is in response to Mayor de Blasio State of the City address today, where he failed to mention the city’s record-breaking homelessness crisis. STATEMENT FROM HOUSE OUR FUTURE NY: “At a time of record homelessness, with more than 23,000 children sleeping in shelters each night, the Mayor’s State of the City, where he expressed his vision to make New York the fairest big city in America, contained nothing at all for homeless New Yorkers, while his supposedly ‘unprecedented’ housing program will actually set aside a smaller share of homes for homeless New Yorkers than the plans advanced by his predecessors. Mass homelessness has reached crisis levels, but Mayor de Blasio’s response – now 6 years into his Mayoralty — has not matched the urgency of the need to reduce homelessness in New York City. As countless advocates and elected leaders have urged, the Mayor must increase the total number of housing units for homeless families and individuals created by his housing plan to 30,000 – 10 percent of his overall 300,000-unit plan – including 24,000 to be created through new construction. To be crystal clear: Failing to make this critical adjustment to the housing plan will mean that New York City will spend billions to build new housing, only to see homelessness continue to rise simultaneously and unsustainably. Mayor de Blasio has a chance to do something truly historic by boldly acting to solve homelessness in New York City through these immediate adjustments to his housing plan.” ### House Our Future NY is an advocacy campaign formed by the Coalition for the Homeless and 61 partner organizations, as well as homeless men, women, and children and other caring New Yorkers. We are asking Mayor de Blasio for 30,000 new units of affordable, permanent housing for homeless New Yorkers by 2026, with 24,000 of these units to be created through new construction. Endorsing Organizations (Lead groups in bold): The Ali Forney Center Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association, Inc. Barrier Free Living Broadway Housing Communities Bronx Health & Housing Consortium Care for the Homeless CitiLeaf Housing Citizens’ Committee for Children Coalition for Homeless Youth Coalition for the Homeless College and Community Fellowship The Collegiate Churches of New York Community Access Community Service Society Comunilife Covenant House New York Emergency Shelter Network Encore Community Services Gateway Housing GEMS Harm Reduction Coalition Henry Street Settlement Homeless Services United Hope’s Door Housing Conservation Coordinators Housing Works Human.nyc Hunger Action Network of NYS Hunger Free America Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing Kingdom Faith Developers Lab/Shul The Legal Aid Society Mekong NYC Midtown South Community Council Mutual Housing Association of NY (MHANY) My Dog is My Home National Working Positive Coalition Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter Neighbors Together New Destiny Housing New York Communities for Change New York Society for Ethical Culture New York State Council of Churches Partnership for the Homeless Picture the Homeless Presbyterian Church (USA) Safe Horizon Services for the UnderServed Sisters of Charity of New York Society for the Advancement of Judaism St Ann’s Church of Morrisania Strong Families Deliverance Ministries Inc. Tenants & Neighbors Tenants Political Action Committee University Settlement and The Door Urban Justice Center Urban Pathways VOCAL NY WE ACT For Environmental Justice Win
