City Council members voted in favor to override Mayor Eric Adams’ veto on a package of housing bills aimed at addressing the homelessness and eviction crisis across New York City.
The vote was an overwhelming 42-8 in favor of overriding the veto. Currently, there are over 50,000 New Yorkers who have been living in shelters long-term. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams says this vote is more than a political matter.
“The fact that we had to override a veto, is incomprehensible to me,” said Adrienne Adams. “Every New Yorker, at the lowest income levels that we could help avoid eviction through the use of CityFEHPS vouchers, is another crisis averted and another person we've prevented from entering the shelter system in the first place.”
Mayor Adams did waive the 90-day-period that people would need to spend living in shelters in order to become eligible for CityFHEPS housing vouchers via executive order, however the mayor’s administration says that these housing bills will make it harder for families in shelters to get a voucher while costing the city approximately $17 billion.
Women In Need did an analysis that estimated this would save the city around $730 million, with Christine Quinn providing the following statement:
"Make no mistake, enacting these laws will make a tremendous, positive impact on the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors. I look forward to continuing to work with city leaders on smart and sustainable policies that will support homeless New Yorkers as they move out of shelter and help those in need avoid homelessness altogether.”
The Legal Aid Society applauded the City Council for their veto override, saying in a statement, in part:
““We laud the New York City Council - especially bill sponsors Diana Ayala, Pierina Sanchez and Tiffany Caban - for taking this necessary step to enact a package of needed reforms that will ultimately prevent evictions and combat homelessness… Given the magnitude of the local housing crisis, we have an obligation to ensure that the New Yorkers we represent have every available option to secure a long-term, safe and affordable place to call home.”
