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Well, it started when Cuomo left about $35 Million out of his proposed budget.  A small amount when compared with overall budget deficit, but the entirety of the State’s normal contribution to the City’s Work Advantage voucher program, a program that provides a rent subsidy to homeless families to help them move out of city shelters and into their own apartments.

While not always the most popular or effective , since Cuomo released his budget, both proponents and opponents  have fought to restore the funding (with the notable exception of Coalition for the Homeless).

In fact, the City has said that it will not continue the program without the state contribution, which accounts for about 25% of the program’s total cost, but which the city has said is necessary to pull down additional federal funding.  Perhaps to prove they aren’t bluffing, on March 17th and 18th, the 15,000 families currently enrolled in the program received letters informing them that, as of April 1st, their vouchers would be terminated, leaving them immediately responsible for the entire rent.  Even with Monday’s budget deal showing $15 Million in the budget for “a new program for the homeless in New York City,” presumable to replace or supplement advantage, the city has not yet agreed to continue the program.

Yet, while certainly unfortunate for the families involved, and potentially a violation of the contracts signed with these families Landlords, if the city and state can no longer afford it, then at least ending the program will save money, right?  Well, not exactly.

After a number of protracted legal battles over the meaning of a few lines in the State’s constitution (get background here), New York families actually have a protected right to shelter.  In practice this means that, if a family can prove they have nowhere else to go, the city and state have an obligation to provide emergency shelter for them.  And doing so is extremely expensive, approximately $38,000 per family per year.  Even assuming only half of the 15,000 families currently on advantage go back into the shelter, this would cost the city and state an additional $285 Million, or about $85 Million more than is spent on the program in total.  Not only does it have the potential to force 15,000 families out of their home, it leaves the city and state at an even greater fiscal disadvantage.

The Manhattan Young Democrats and our Committee on Community and Social Equity (CASE) respectfully request that the Office of New York State Governor David Paterson intervene immediately to prevent the administration of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg from implementing rules requiring shelter residents to pay rent.

The Bloomberg administration decided to implement this policy, established under Governor George Pataki, during his previous administration. As a result of a public outcry, these rules were temporarily suspended shortly after they were put into effect.

However, now that the Mayoral election is over, we expect them to be re-imposed imminently. If nothing is done to stop him, New York City will begin to charge shelter residents rent and will require their adherence to multiple rules and regulations – under the threat of 30 day removal from the shelter with the likely consequence of children being removed to foster care.

Legislation to reverse these draconian measures has been introduced and passed in the State Assembly and may be introduced in the State Senate as early as this week. We, the Manhattan Young Democrats, strongly suggest that your Office take immediate action to ensure the passage of this legislation in the State Senate.

As a group, the Manhattan Young Democrats have been disgusted with the inefficiency of the State Senate and the generally abhorrent behavior which has been exhibited by some of its members. As an all-volunteer organization of young professionals who represent the future of our City, the Manhattan Young Democrats cannot tolerate the disgrace that our City, our State, and our Party should feel if this policy is permitted.

These measures are punitive and illogical, and the absurd timing of this policy is clear. Homelessness in New York City is widely expected to continue rising as unemployment deepens. Foreclosures, and the inability of renters to pay due to job losses, are strong predictors of a surge in the homeless population. Goldman Sachs has suggested that unemployment will stabilize at 10% in 2010. Worse, The Fiscal Policy institute recently released a study which states that real unemployment in New York City is close to 20%. This is due to the mis-classification of workers as independent contractors and job losses in the shadow economy – both of which contribute to the prevalence of citizens not being counted in the unemployment numbers because they are not eligible to file for Unemployment Insurance.

This lack of eligibility affects working families. Many already live below the poverty line and are at extreme risk of homelessness if one income is lost. These families cannot afford to pay rent in a homeless shelter.

When a reported 15,500 children sleep in New York City homeless shelters each night, this policy cannot be the answer. The removal of children to foster care has a negative affect on family and neighborhood safety and stability. Multiple studies have proven that children who are removed to foster care do not perform well in school and are at greater risk of falling behind or dropping out – increasing the likelihood that these children will end up homeless as adults. A policy that deliberately destabilizes families by encouraging their separation due to homelessness is not only unjust, it adds to the problem.

We ask the Office of the Governor of New York State to intervene immediately to prevent the implementation of this harmful measure. Please tell Mayor Bloomberg and the State Senate that we will not accept punitive and draconian policy. At a time when the citizens of our great City are struggling, it is unethical and an unwise to impose rules which will certainly divide families and leave more people on the street.

Sincerely,

The Manhattan Young Democrats

The Manhattan Young Democrats Committee on Community and Social Equity

Join our CASE Committee here.

A recent study published by Convenant House , which operates shelters for young people, reveals the number of young and homeless in New York City has increased by one-third since last year. On any given night, approximately 3,800 young people are on the street.

[T]he study, one of the largest-ever examinations of young homeless people in New York, found that their future did not look much better — because they are dangerously isolated from mainstream channels of work, family life and basic schooling.

Forty-seven percent of the group said they had been disciplined physically before entering the shelter, 37 percent said they had been victims of physical abuse, and 19 percent had endured sexual abuse. Forty-one percent said they had witnessed violence in their homes.

The vast majority said they found it difficult or impossible to find a good job. Seventy-eight percent said they were unemployed when they entered the shelter. Among those who had jobs, 41 percent said those jobs were “off the books.”

Kevin M. Ryan, the president of Covenant House, a privately financed agency with facilities in 20 cities nationwide, including Philadelphia, Detroit, Newark and St. Louis, said he hoped the study alerted the public “to the growing crisis of homeless youth in New York City."

Want to help MYD make a difference in young people’s lives? Email Sarah Gudernatch, MYD’s Community Service Director .