Categories: Network Events
10.29.2015
The Network helps lead the charge.
Left: The crowd of hundreds of supporters of supportive housing at the NY Society for Ethical Culture. Right: Faith Leaders at NYC Housing Forum. Photo credit, right: Trish Anderton.
The Network joined forces with the Campaign 4 NY/NY Housing at the NY Society for Ethical Culture with a diverse coalition of faith leaders, legislators and a huge crowd of supporters to call for 35,000 units of supportive housing statewide on October 23rd.
The event brought together hundreds of housed and homeless New Yorkers to learn about the history of supportive housing in New York as an organic, highly successful and respectful solution to homelessness among the most vulnerable as well as a high-energy endorsement for a statewide NY/NY 4 agreement.
Anne Klaeysen from the NY Society for Ethical Culture welcomed the crowd. Steve Coe of Community Access MC’ed the event, and other speakers from the supportive housing community included Kristin Miller of CSH, the Network’s Laura Mascuch, Stephan Russo of Goddard-Riverside Community Center, and Ralph Fasano of Concern for Independent Living.
A diverse group of legislators also addressed the gathering including Assembly Member Keith Wright saying "Homelessness is tearing our society apart;" State Senator Liz Krueger who said, “Supportive housing is a win/win;” Assembly Member Richard Gottfried who said "Supportive housing is a miracle drug;" Assembly Member Joe Lentol who called for “more supportive housing!” Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer who said “We want supportive housing in our neighborhood;”and Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi who said, “Supportive housing is the fundamental solution to solving the homeless crisis in New York State.”
Tenants of supportive housing and New Yorkers in need of supportive housing also spoke including Diana Burgos, Eli Bean, Cynthia East, Mario Gonzalez, Jennifer Johnson, and Bryant Pewritt.
The event generated a tidal wave of tweets to Governor Cuomo on the need for a robust NY/NY 4 agreement and trended within the top ten Democratic political topics being tweeted twice that evening according to the app Potus2016. We’re continuing our social media NY/NY4 advocacy campaign and hope that you’ll join us. It’s easy: just follow @theNetworkNY on twitter and retweet our NY/NY4 tweets!
The audience made ample use of the closing panel featuring Laura Mascuch, Assembly Member Hevesi, Stephan Russo, the Coalition’s Shelly Nortz, and RSS’s Bill DeVita to ask questions related to supportive housing needs in various communities.
Thank you for joining us!