Care For the Homeless

Last week, Care for the Homeless Executive Director Bobby Watts testified before the New York City Council assuring policy makers "with real commitment and the political will to do so, we can successfully end modern day homelessness in New York City."  Executive Director Bobby Watts Watts spoke about the Care for the Homeless Agenda to End Homelessness and how policies to fight, prevent and end homelessness would also save taxpayer dollars. Watts also took the opportunity to thank City Council for restoring funding that would have been cut for services for people experiencing homeless in recent budget cycles, and recognizing City Council Chair Steven Levin for legislation he will be proposing to create a city effort to coordinate policies and programs affecting homelessness. "This is modeled on the federal InterAgency Council on Homelessness , that has been so valuable in improving national policy," Watts said. Watts participated in a public hearin...

Jeff Foreman, Director of Policy For the past year, Care for the Homeless client leaders and our certified client advocates have fought for extending a “30% rent cap” to all people living with HIV/AIDS in city subsidized HASA (HIV/AIDS Services Administration) housing programs. So it was with extreme pleasure that we got the word last week that the Mayor and Governor have jointly taken action to guarantee the 30% rent cap to more than 10,000 New Yorkers in HASA housing. Mayor de Blasio hailed the city-state effort, and so do we! Unlike most extremely low income housing and subsidized housing for poor households with disabilities, HASA housing never guaranteed a 30% rent cap. It always should have. Governor Cuomo said, “By implementing a 30% income cap for low-income renters with HIV/AIDS, we are protecting New Yorkers in need and making our communities stronger, healthier, and more compassionate for all.” Our client advocates spoke out for this most recently Wednesday mor...

Late on Sunday, the Mayor and leaders of City Council announced a “handshake” agreement on a $70 billion city budget that included no tax increases, restored most of the spending cuts proposed in this year’s original Executive Budget Proposal and spends approximately the same amount as last year. Some called it a status quo budget, which isn't surprising for the final budget in an outgoing city administration. The good news for those concerned about poverty issues and homelessness in New York City is that the most egregious cuts were restored. It’s a usual part of budget negotiations for the city administration to cut programs in their proposed budget that they know City Council will fight for – and that’s what budget negotiations are often about. Restored in this year’s budget was $58 million to NYCHA to make up for federal sequestration cuts to programs like Section 8 housing dollars, and funding that would have cut the already insufficient 252 city shelter beds for unaccom...