At a time when New York City is facing a serious homeless crisis, which has been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a package is stalled in the State Legislature of laws that could help more New York families find a permanent home and not run the risk of being homeless.
The legal aid society and the empire justice center advocate organizations called on lawmakers in Albany Tuesday to enact this robust, recently introduced legislative package that, among other things, reforms the cash assistance program to prevent homelessness, end deep poverty and make it easier to get other benefits for low-wage workers.
“Current levels of cash assistance relegate participants throughout New York to a state of ‘deep poverty.’ For our clients and all low-income New Yorkers eligible for assistance, this increase will ease some financial hardships and give them more access to economic opportunity,” said Susan Welber of the Civil Law Reform Unit at ‘The Legal Aid Society’.
The lawyer emphasized that a greater housing allowance “is crucial to preventing homelessness as we begin to emerge from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a matter of economic and racial justice. The Legal Aid Society calls on Albany to immediately enact this critical package of legislation.”