Categories: New York City
06.16.2022
On June 14th, NYC Mayor Eric Adams joined his administration’s housing leaders and impacted experts to launch the City’s new housing plan: Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness. Read the Network’s overview and plan highlights here.
On the roof of Breaking Ground’s supportive and affordable housing residence 90 Sands, Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz launched the program stating, “Our homelessness crisis is a housing crisis” and spoke to the inclusion of those with lived experience in the plan’s development process.
Homelessness and housing activist, Shams DaBaron, followed, “Never in the history of America have people impacted by homelessness and housing insecurity been given an opportunity to shape policy at such a high level…Our voices matter. To all my impacted advocates: embrace your power and this historic moment. You defy the stigmas, the negative narratives and you’ve done a great service to the city.”
Impacted expert and youth advocate, Lyndon Hernadez, also spoke, “We need to ensure our youth are equipped with opportunities to strive in their communities. We must build a youth homelessness system that does not re-traumatize youth and we need to provide permanent housing solutions and ensure the needs of homeless youth and young adults are heard and met.”
New York City Mayor Adams then spoke, “We need to focus on if we have placed people into housing. Units staying empty is not a success. Our measurement will be based on people signing leases to move into apartments…. We are also going to accelerate the creation of supportive housing and create 15,000 units two years ahead of schedule.”
Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz, followed, “We must tackle the administrative burdens in our systems where we fail the very people we are trying to serve.”
Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom followed, “Every New Yorker deserves a permanent home and today is a step in that direction.”
Adolfo Carrión, Commissioner, NYC Dept of Housing Preservation & Development then remarked, “We’re wrapping our arms around the entire housing ecosystem because we understand that housing/a home is a fundamental building block for a family and the prospects of the future for that family.”
Read the plan here.