NEW YORK, NY — In response to the New York State Senate and Assembly releasing their One House budgets, Raysa Rodriguez, associate executive director at the Citizens’ Committee for Children, a leading organization of the Family Homelessness Coalition, released the following statement:

“We thank Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie for including important provisions in their respective One House budgets that address the unmitigated crisis of family homelessness in New York City and beyond. We commend both the Senate and Assembly for calling to raise the FHEPS voucher amount to the HUD Fair Market Rent level and for fighting to establish a long-term state rent subsidy. Increasing resources for rent relief and assistance will be essential to preventing the surge of women and children entering shelter as the eviction moratorium is lifted and our state and city begin to reopen. We urge the Senate and Assembly to build on areas of agreement and work together as they head toward negotiations with the Governor. To this end, they must prioritize enacting recommendations advanced by advocates and landlords alike by removing requirements for families to be in eviction proceeding to be eligible for rental assistance and enacting the provision to not require repayment of assistance for the duration of the emergency. This is the moment to ensure that children and families avoid the trauma of entering shelter as so many are struggling to make ends meet.”