THOMPSON: CITY HALL'S HOMELESS RENT PLAN SHOULD NOT CONTINUE
New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. submitted testimony today to the City Council's General Welfare Committee regarding the Department of Homeless Services' Family Income Contribution Requirement and Client Conduct and Responsibility Procedure, which was designed to charge homeless New Yorkers rent to stay in City shelters. Thompson strongly supported City Council Resolution No. 2002, which calls on the New York State Legislature to pass legislation such as S.5605 and A.8353-A, and amend the social services law in relation to financial contributions by recipients of temporary housing assistance.
"This legislation, if enacted, would effectively put an end to the Mayor's unconscionable plan to charge homeless people rent to stay in
Instead of charging homeless New Yorkers rent to live in shelters Thompson advocated for the City to institute a savings account program for those they are seeking to charge rent. These accounts could be used by homeless families towards permanent housing.
"I am extremely disappointed that the Mayor's answer to our budget woes seems increasingly to fall on our City's most vulnerable residents--the people who are suffering the most in this economy," Thompson said. "We must look for solutions that benefit these families, get them out of public shelters, and on the road to recovery."
In recent weeks, Thompson has held rallies to protest the proposal and has written to Mayor Bloomberg expressing his outrage at the insensitive and ill-conceived plan.
To view the Comptroller's previous statements on the issue visit www.comptroller.nyc.gov
Thompson's testimony is below:
OFFICE OF THE
TESTIMONY BY
WILLIAM C. THOMPSON, Jr.
Before the
General Welfare Committee
Hearing Room
250 Broadway, 14th Floor
June 24, 2009
1 PM
Speaker Quinn, Chairman de Blasio, committee members and public observers, good afternoon. I would like to thank you for holding this hearing and allowing me to discuss the Department of Homeless Services' Family Income Contribution Requirement and Client Conduct and Responsibility Procedure.
I am here today to strongly support New York City Council Resolution No. 2002 calling on the New York State Legislature to pass legislation such as S.5605 and A.8353-A, which would amend the social services law in relation to financial contributions by recipients of temporary housing assistance.
As I'm sure you all know, this legislation, if enacted, would effectively put an end to the Mayor's unconscionable plan to charge homeless people rent to stay in
I am one of many New Yorkers who is deeply troubled by this plan, which comes, incomprehensibly, during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. If ever there was a time to support our city's homeless families--a population that is sadly at record levels today in
Make no mistake: People living in our shelters want desperately to move into a real home. They often earn less than 10 dollars an hour, close to minimum wage. What little money they have is spent on food, clothing, and basic necessities for their families.
If our State does not pass legislation to countermand this law, many homeless New Yorkers will be forced to hand over to the City almost half their income, making it impossible for them to save money for long-term housing and creating a dependence on City shelters for months or years to come.
Enforcing this law would also create a troubling relationship between homeless families and shelter service providers, whose job duties would essentially shift from service providers to landlords overnight.
As many of you may know, under the Mayor's plan, if the organizations that manage these shelters do not collect the rent due, the City will not make up the difference. In some instances, this may create a perverse incentive, leading to a situation where families are harassed or worse. In other instances, the dedicated and compassionate service providers who are committed to helping the homeless will have the harrowing responsibility of turning fathers, mothers, and children out onto the streets of
Indeed, it has already been reported that the City was forced to temporarily stop charging homeless families rent after only three weeks because the implementation of this policy resulted in large rent overcharges and unwarranted eviction threats. Incredibly, it is my understanding that--despite these problems--the City is now considering allowing evictions from the shelter system for a minimum of thirty days for families that have been sanctioned under the Public Assistance program for minor violations such as a missed appointment.
Of course, as New York City Comptroller, I know better than anyone that our city today is facing tough financial choices. But let me be clear: Charging rent to homeless people is not the solution. Instead, we must work to find solutions that will work and will not compromise the values and compassion of
For example, instead of charging homeless families rent money they will never see again, why don't we open savings accounts for these New Yorkers? Any money the City would charge for rent could instead be put into these savings accounts, which the families could only use toward permanent housing.
In the end, I am extremely disappointed that the Mayor's answer to our budget woes seems increasingly to fall on our city's most vulnerable residents--the people who are suffering the most in this economy.
In this case, we must look for solutions that benefit these families, get them out of public shelters, and on the road to recovery.
That is why I strongly support this resolution to stop the Mayor's impractical and heartless plan--a plan that, if enacted, would be an embarrassment and a shame to our great City.
Thank you.
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