The City Council is gearing up to vote on a package of bills that would make it easier for New Yorkers to move through the shelter system, and as a result benefit migrants who are continually arriving to the city.
Several elected officials gathered at City Hall on Wednesday to speak before the public ahead of the council’s Thursday vote. The goal of the bill package is to remove barriers to the city’s Housing Voucher Program so New Yorkers can have an expedited transition to permanent housing.
The bills come from multiple officials including Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala and Council Member Pierina Sanchez.
Ayala’s Intro 878 would end the 90-day rule that requires people to stay in the shelter system for three months before receiving help with rental assistance.
“That rule makes absolutely no sense and especially in light of the housing crisis that we’re undergoing,” said Ayala. “We want to make sure we are moving families out as quickly as possible… we want to remove those barriers that may be keeping families and individuals in shelters longer than necessary.”
Both Intro 893 and 894 from Sanchez involve the city’s FHEPS application process. Intro 893 would make it harder for social services to deny an application, while 894 would remove the work requirement in those applications.
“These bills together are going to help the city of New York provide more stability for our families,” said Sanchez.
The bills come as they say the city’s shelter population stands at over 78,000 people, with a majority of them not being migrants.
