Contact: Nick Encalada-Malinowski nick@vocal-ny.org 

VOCAL-NY Turns Down First Ever Federal Funds To Provide Lifesaving Work Because Trump Admin Executive Orders Would Put Organization At Risk

Trump Administration EOs are a culture war against proven and effective solutions to solving homelessness, reducing overdose and getting people into healthcare

NEW YORK — VOCAL-NY announced today that it would not accept a Congressional earmark that would have provided funding to create a mental health pilot program for a to-be-determined downtown Brooklyn subway station, previously reported in the Brooklyn Eagle. In response, VOCAL-NY released the following statement attributable to Jeremy Saunders, Co-Executive Director of VOCAL-NY:

“We have been advised that taking federal funds – despite the good they will do for the community and homeless New Yorkers struggling with mental health issues – would put our organization at serious risk of political attacks and financial harm. To be clear, we are not taking this money because of the Trump administration’s willingness to violate the law, including our first amendment right to free speech – not because our proposed project would have violated any of their ridiculous, ineffective and harmful EOs,” said Jeremy Saunders, Co-Executive Director of VOCAL-NY. 

“These Executive Orders, like “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” are part of the Trump administration’s culture war against actual solutions to homelessness. They are making communities less safe, not safer and alongside the Trump administration’s budget cuts, they will lead to more people being homeless, hungry, sick and in some cases, dead. These conditions will then be used to justify the arresting of people who have no home, and the institutionalizing of people who have been denied mental healthcare.”

BACKGROUND:

Federal funds cannot be used in any way that violate the litany of new Trump imposed Executive Orders. While the proposed project by VOCAL-NY would have adhered to all federal requirements, including these EOs, the organization was warned that the current administration has shown a willingness to go after organizations for violating the EOs even if that activity does not include the use of any federal funds. 

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