“We applaud the City Council for voting yes on Intro 146 and thank Speaker Corey Johnson, Councilmember Levin and all who helped bring it to a vote. Families with children across New York City are just starting to dig themselves out of a year of loss, economic hardship and impossible choices. Many families experiencing housing instability are led by women of color in communities hit hardest by the pandemic. While there were concerning concessions built in at the last hour, this is an enormous step towards preventing shelter entry and enabling those in shelter to quickly exit to permanent housing. Passing Intro 146 will ensure, for the first time, that the City’s largest rental subsidy program offers competitive rental assistance rates that reflect the cost of rent throughout the five boroughs. Given the plight of families and with federal relief on its way for emergency rental assistance, there has never been a better moment to make this investment in longer-term housing stability. In the collective effort to combat homelessness there is always more work to do. Today the City Council has made a significant investment in fighting homelessness in NYC. We urge the state to follow suit in the final weeks of the legislative session and raise the FHEPS voucher amount. New York’s families cannot wait. “