End Homelessness in New York

Andrew Cuomo, Andrea Stewart Cousins, Carl Heastie

The homelessness crisis is killing New Yorkers. Last week, five homeless people were attacked on the street while they slept. Four of them were killed.

New York is one of the richest places in the country, but it is also one of the most unequal. While we invest billions in projects like Hudson Yards, rewarding Cuomo donors like Stephen Ross, 92,000 people sleep unhoused each night. This number has been steadily rising since Governor Cuomo was first elected in 2010. The horrific deaths in Chinatown are not an aberration that we can mourn and move on form, they are the latest tragic symptoms of a humanitarian crisis that must be addressed.

This crisis is horrific, and preventable. New York State has the tools to solve the homelessness crisis -- it just doesn’t have the political will.

This crisis is statewide. At least 30,000 people outside of the City of New York are unhoused, living in cities with smaller social safety nets and fewer resources to provide emergency care.

This crisis is unconscionable. Governor Cuomo has all but abandoned plans to build low income and supportive housing, and has divested resources to confront the homelessness crisis from cities across the State.

This crisis demands action. Every New Yorker has the right to a safe, healthy, and affordable home. Sign this petition to fight for a #NYHomesGuarantee, so everyone can sleep with a roof over their head and live free from the fear of homelessness.

To: Andrew Cuomo, Andrea Stewart Cousins, Carl Heastie
From: [Your Name]

This week five homeless New Yorkers were attacked in their sleep. Four of them were killed and one is still fighting for his life. They are the latest victims of a homelessness crisis which has skyrocketed to nearly 100,000 people living unhoused. The crisis of homelessness is horrific, and it is preventable. When we can promise billions on projects like Hudson Yards, or Amazon HQ2 for the wealthy, New York State has the tools to solve the homelessness crisis: it just doesn’t have the political will.

Governor Cuomo, Andrea Stewart Cousins, and Carl Heastie: homeless New Yorkers and their allies are tired of political grandstanding. You must act now to solve our housing crisis and rehouse the tens-of-thousands of New Yorkers that are homeless.

New York State needs 600,000 units of new, de-commodified, affordable housing. We need an investment in public housing, and good cause eviction. Act now to fund and build 20,000 units of supportive housing, pass the Home Stability Support Act, and set aside homes for homeless New Yorkers in all State supported affordable housing.

Every New Yorker has the right to a safe, healthy, and affordable home. We are calling on you to fight for a #NYHomesGuarantee, so everyone can sleep with a roof over their head and live free from the fear of eviction.