After years of being unsatisfied by the policy choices and priorities of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, VOCAL-NY is hopeful that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration will emphasize data-backed decisions when it comes to New York’s drug policies, including embracing harm reduction strategies.
Capitol PressRoom: Harm reduction activists provide Hochul with drug policy roadmap Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, August 31, 2021 CONTACT Jasmine Budnella, jasmine@vocal-ny.org, 720480-5262 Mariah McGough, Mariah@vocal-ny.org, 203-470-9979 ON INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY, LAWMAKERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS DEMAND ACTION ON NEW YORK’S PREVENTABLE OVERDOSE CRISIS New Yorkers Joined People Across the Globe Today to Honor Those Lost to Preventable Overdose By Demanding Action See VOCAL-NY’s Drug Policy
“I remember when we were losing someone every three hours to overdose. Then it was five. Then it was three. Now we’re losing someone every hour and 48 minutes,” Marilyn Reyes, a community leader with VOCAL-NY User’s Union and co-director of Peer Network of New York, told Filter. “It’s horrifying.”
Now, newly inaugurated Governor Kathy Hochul has the opportunity to immediately begin addressing the harms perpetuated by Cuomo’s administration, and to usher in a new era of healing for marginalized New Yorkers.
Filter: On International Overdose Awareness Day, New Yorkers’ Demands Are Clear Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, August 25, 2021 CONTACT Jasmine Budnella, jasmine@vocal-ny.org, 720-480-5262 Mariah McGough, Mariah@vocal-ny.org, 203-470-9979 THERE IS NO TIME LEFT: GOVERNOR HOCHUL MUST LEAD ON ENDING THE OVERDOSE CRISIS IN NEW YORK IN FIRST 45 DAYS VOCAL-NY is Releasing a Drug Policy Roadmap for Governor Hochul’s 45 Days in Office Over 31,000 New Yorkers
Following Governor Cuomo’s resignation, Lt. Governor Hochul has an urgent, historic opportunity to save lives from the worsening overdose crisis and reverse the devastation caused by her predecessor. After years of grassroots organizing, Hochul will have a package of legislation available for her to sign that would all go towards preventing overdoses: S1795/A533 – Medication-Assisted
Hochul has Chance to Right Cuomo’s Wrongs on Overdose Crisis Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2021 CONTACT Luke Grandis, Luke@vocal-ny.org VOCAL-NY Applauds Albany Common Council’s Passage of “Good Cause’ Eviction Bill Under Good Cause Measure Landlords are Prohibited From Evicting Tenants Based on Discriminatory Reasons ALBANY, N.Y. — The Albany chapter of VOCAL-NY applauds the Albany Common Council for passing legislation to require landlords have
VOCAL-NY APPLAUDS ALBANY COMMON COUNCIL’S PASSAGE OF ‘GOOD CAUSE’ EVICTION BILL Read More »
Smith, a statewide organizer with the advocacy group VOCAL-NY since 2017 and early member of the Housing Justice for All coalition, said that ending the cycle of precarious housing will be among her top priorities when Rochester’s new city council is seated in January.
“As we talk about people having stable housing, first we want to make sure that we are dealing with evictions and people not being homeless, so one of our first steps has to be good cause,” she said.
New York Focus: A Wave of Upstate Cities Could Ban Eviction Without “Good Cause” Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, July 14 2021 CONTACT Jasmine Budnella, jasmine@vocal-ny.org Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org GOVERNOR CUOMO’S LEGACY OF FAILURE ON THE OVERDOSE CRISIS IS PUNCTUATED BY DEADLIEST YEAR ON RECORD Preliminary Data Released By CDC Today Shows Over 5,100 New Yorkers Died From Preventable Overdoses In 2020 Over 30,000 New Yorkers Have Died From Overdose
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, July 13, 2021 CONTACT Joseph Loonam, Joseph@vocal-ny.org, 347-409-4650 OVER A DOZEN HOMELESS NEW YORKERS AND ACTIVISTS TAKE LOBBY OF DEPARTMENT OF HOMELESS SERVICES TO DEMAND ‘HOTELS TO HOUSING’ As New Delta Variant Spreads, Activists Demand Permanent Housing, Oppose Mayors Attempts to Force Homeless New Yorkers Back into Dangerous Shelters See Pictures
At a small protest outside Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s residence, on Monday, homeless people and organizers from the advocacy group Vocal-NY demanded that the homeless remain in the hotels until they could be offered permanent apartments.
“Why the rush to put us back into the shelters now?” said Milton Perez, 45, who has spent five years in the shelter system. “Why the rush to put us in danger?”
New York Times: 8,000 Homeless People to Be Moved From Hotels to Shelters, New York Says Read More »
