The New York City Council just passed critical legislation to make it easier for low-income and homeless New Yorkers to get permanent housing!

The NYC Council overturned the Mayor’s reckless veto of the CityFHEPS bills, which the NYC Council had passed earlier in May. This is an unusual step and the first time they’ve used their power to stand up to Mayor Adams. It is also a reflection of the strength of our movement.

Approximately 100,000 people sleep in shelters every night, and many of these people have spent well over 400 days waiting for the support they need to access permanent housing.

The Council’s smart bills will help fix this grave problem—preventing homelessness for more than 38,000 families and 92,000+ individuals—while producing a potential annual savings of more than $730 million.

These bills will:

• Remove a rule that requires people to wait 90 days in a shelter before they can apply for a housing voucher.
• Eliminate the work requirement AND lower the income threshold for eligibility.
• Stop utilities from being deducted from a voucher’s value.
• Allow people on the verge of eviction to apply for a voucher to help them stay in their apartment.

It has been extremely frustrating to see the Mayor refuse to listen to his colleagues and our communities, instead choosing to play politics with his veto pen and denying people’s right to shelter.

We thank Speaker Adams and lead bill sponsors Councilmembers Sanchez, Cabán, and Ayala, and our allies Community Service Society of New York, VOCAL-NY, Legal Aid Society, and Neighbors Together for their leadership in advancing this legislation.

Today we stand with the Council, who took the reins so that struggling New Yorkers can have a safe, affordable place to call home.

¡Sí se pudo!