New York, NY—Today, NYC Mayor Eric Adams vetoed a package of four bills from the City Council that would help houseless New Yorkers get into permanent housing by expanding eligibility to CityFHEPS vouchers, and ultimately allowing New Yorkers to circumvent the shelter system altogether.
Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Today, Mayor Adams undercut every New Yorker who is struggling to find affordable housing or get out of the shelter system. By vetoing the package of bills proposed by the City Council, he just made it harder for people to get into safe, stable and more permanent housing. Mayor Adams claims the Council’s plan is too costly, but the cost of building new HERRCs, retrofitting existing structures or policing those living on the streets far exceeds the cost of providing people with CityFHEPS housing vouchers. The Mayor seems more intent on putting up roadblocks than moving forward cost-effective common sense solutions that would improve the safety and well-being of every New Yorker. We demand that the City Council override the Mayor’s veto and address our dual crises with expediency!”