Care For the Homeless

One factor that has increased the number of people experiencing homelessness in New York City is the eviction of low-income tenants from their homes. Historically, a low-income tenant facing an eviction proceeding in Housing Court was at a serious disadvantage compared to their landlord because of one very important factor, landlords always had legal representation. To counter this imbalance, in 2017, NYC became the first city to adopt the Right to Counsel (RTC), also known as Local Law 136, that established a right to free legal counsel in eviction cases. This major step forward in protecting low income tenants came after many years of advocacy by dedicated organizations and individuals supporting the rights of tenants facing the potential loss of housing. RTC provides tenants with household incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, $50,200 annually for a family of four , with no cost access to attorneys. Legal representation for an individual facing an eviction ...

--> --> At the HELP Supportive Employment Center on Wards Island, Care for the Homeless Medical Case Manager Anisha Perez-Miller works with homeless men. Most of these men have recently left prison to find themselves alone and without jobs. These men arrive with barely any belongings and are in need of the mental health counseling that Anisha can give them. “I have an open door policy,” Anisha says. “I’m available. I see the men whether they’re coming out of prison or from Bellevue and I give them a needs assessment regarding mental health services. The men usually want psyche evaluations done and I link them up to one of our psychiatrists. I link them up to medical services, help them with their education about Medicaid and do supportive counseling.” As she works with the men, Anisha has found that one way to engage the clients is through distributing toiletries and other personal care items as incentive for coming to meet with her.   “It’s really very simpl...

Raised in northern California, Jessica Faville studied International Development and Economics at UCLA but she realized early on that she was loving her international health classes. “All my extra-curriculars were health based,” she said. “That’s where my interests were. I was involved with organizations on campus that raised money for pediatric AIDS and I interned for an organization that does summer camps for HIV positive youth. I always knew I wanted to work with HIV. It was the first real disease I saw as a kid. My uncle died of HIV so it drove me to want to do health care.” From there, she spent time working with HIV and AIDS promotion in a village in Tanzania, working in schools with kids doing health education and was working in San Francisco at a homeless clinic and in a shelter when she heard about CFH. Now, as a part of the health education team at CFH, Faville works with families, senior citizens and LGBT youth, trying to help homeless people understand the importance ...

Born the oldest of six, Kim grew up in Harlem. After high school, she became an addict. After years of moving from one family member’s couch to another, she knew she had to get help. Susan’s Place is the first shelter that Kim has been in and as she put it, “It’s the first and last.” She didn’t know what to expect when she arrived at Susan’s Place, but upon getting there, her life “changed tremendously.” “This place is beautiful. The atmosphere isn’t about thuggin' like it is in other shelters. The staff brings out the good parts of you. This place demands it of you.” After almost 18 months at Susan’s Place, Kim is moving out into permanent housing. “I never dreamed I’d be eligible for where I’m going,” she said. “This place has given me a sense of respect and self worth that I’ve never had before.” Over the past months, Kim has been managing the gym at Susan’s Place, ensuring the new equipment is taken care of and that the women at the shelter are able to be physically act...

The Delfonics gave the residents of Susan's Place something to cheer about on Wednesday March 18th. Performing their hits "La La (Means I Love You)" and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," the trio sang, danced and entertained the ladies and staff in a free concert. For more information on Susan's Place, click HERE .