6 JANUARY 17, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Hevesi urges Cuomo to fund ‘Home Stability Support’
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BY MARK HALLUM
MHALLUM@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi is
calling for the executive budget
to include a critical program he
claims will stop the growth of homelessness
in its tracks in a recent letter
Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Home Stability Support is not just
aimed at saving individuals at risk
of homelessness from eviction, but
focuses on families who are falling on
hard times and facing rising cost of
living across the state. Hevesi hopes
to see the plan fully funded from the
governor’s offi ce in the coming years.
“Homelessness in New York state,
already at the worst levels since the
Great Depression, continues to grow
rapidly and the failure to address this
crisis has severe human and fi nancial
consequences for the people of New
York,” Hevesi said. “This program will
immediately stop the growth of homelessness
and provide an opportunity
for some currently homeless families
and individuals to be stably housed.
Once we stop the growth of the crisis,
we can engage in policy discussions
about how to enable these New Yorkers
to leave public assistance behind
and escape poverty.”
According to a press release from
Home Stability Support, there are
over 152,839 homeless children in the
state with 62,333 children entering
homelessness since 2011 alone. Hevesi
claims that homelessness can create a
cycle of mental illness that can aff ect
their entire lives.
“These kids, through no fault of their
own, are being forced to contend with
hardships and trauma far beyond their
years,” Hevesi added. “The trauma of
homelessness is one of the Adverse
Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that
leads to long-term health, educational
and developmental hardships that can
impact them throughout their lives.”
The program would be both federally
and state funded, replacing all other
rent supplement programs, according
to the HSS website.
Alexis Foote, founder of Edgemere
Community Garden, and other advocates
issued similar calls for the
inclusion of funding for the program
in a recent joint press release.
“I can speak from experience when
I say that being homeless weights
heavy on women of color with children,”
Foote said. “Homelessness
strips you of your self-respect, your
humanity and your life goals. We
need innovative solutions like Home
Stability Support to protect housing
for our most vulnerable residence. We
need to stop paying hotels to house
homeless families and single adults.
The city needs to stop selling public
land to private developers who don’t
pay their fair share of taxes.”
Each year, between 19,000 and
23,000 more people enter homelessness
each year than are transitioned
out, which is attributed to rising rents
as well as domestic violence and hazardous
living conditions.
“Chronic homelessness plagues New
Yorkers in counties throughout the
state, and tenants desperately need a
comprehensive solution to help make
rent and to stay in their homes,” said
Adriene Holder an attorney with The
Legal Aid Society, said. “Home Stability
Support is a common-sense, cost-eff ective
solution that will prevent homelessness
and save precious tax dollars.
The Legal Aid Society urges Governor
Andrew Cuomo to incorporate this
much needed housing program into
this year’s budget.”
Cuomo delivered his State of the
State address on Jan. 15 outlining
some key goals in the upcoming executive
budget, but no mention was
made on including Home Stability
Support.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
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