Mariah McGough

New York Times: 8,000 Homeless People to Be Moved From Hotels to Shelters, New York Says

In the News / By

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 »

Williams Hotel Residents Receive Transfer Notices Day After Rally at Gracie Mansion

Press Statements / By

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, June 16, 2021 CONTACT Joseph Loonam, Joseph@vocal-ny.org WILLIAMS HOTEL RESIDENTS RECEIVE TRANSFER NOTICES DAY AFTER RALLY AT GRACIE MANSION Homeless New Yorkers Demand Hotels to Housing; Instead They Face Forced Transfers and Total Lack of Transparency in Process NEW YORK — A day after rallying at Gracie Mansion to demand transfers

Williams Hotel Residents Receive Transfer Notices Day After Rally at Gracie Mansion Read More »

Landmark Year for VOCAL-NY: More Legislative Victories This Session Than in Any Other Session in 20+ Year History

Press Statements / By

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 11, 2021 CONTACT Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org LANDMARK YEAR FOR VOCAL-NY: MORE LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES THIS SESSION THAN IN ANY OTHER SESSION IN 20+ YEAR HISTORY Leaders Now Call on Governor Cuomo Demanding He Signs Life-Saving Bills Into Law  NEW YORK — Following the close of the 2021 legislative session in New York

Landmark Year for VOCAL-NY: More Legislative Victories This Session Than in Any Other Session in 20+ Year History Read More »

After a Fight Spanning Over a Decade, Assembly Passes Life-Saving Bill to Decriminalize and Expand Access to Syringes in New York

Press Statements / By

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, June 10 2021 CONTACT Jasmine Budnella, jasmine@vocal-ny.org Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org AFTER A FIGHT SPANNING OVER A DECADE, ASSEMBLY PASSES LIFE-SAVING BILL TO DECRIMINALIZE AND EXPAND ACCESS TO SYRINGES IN NEW YORK See Statement on Monday’s Senate Vote From VOCAL-NY Leader, Ivette Chavez-Gonzalez, Who Has Been Incarcerated Multiple Times for Syringe Possession

After a Fight Spanning Over a Decade, Assembly Passes Life-Saving Bill to Decriminalize and Expand Access to Syringes in New York Read More »

VOCAL-NY Applauds the Senate Passage of Bill to Convert Distressed Hotels Into Affordable Housing

Press Statements / By

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, June 9, 2021 CONTACT Paulette Soltani, Paulette@vocal-ny.org Mariah McGough, Mariah@vocal-ny.org VOCAL-NY APPLAUDS THE SENATE PASSAGE OF BILL TO CONVERT DISTRESSED HOTELS INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING The Assembly Announced Earlier Today it Would Also Vote for the Passage of HONDA ALBANY, N.Y. — Today, the New York State Senate passed the House Our

VOCAL-NY Applauds the Senate Passage of Bill to Convert Distressed Hotels Into Affordable Housing Read More »

After a Fight Spanning Over a Decade, VOCAL-NY Celebrates the Senate’s Passage of Lifesaving Bill to Decriminalize and Expand Access to Syringes in New York

Press Statements / By

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, June 7, 2021 CONTACT Jasmine Budnella, jasmine@vocal-ny.org Mariah McGough, Mariah@vocal-ny.org AFTER A FIGHT SPANNING OVER A DECADE, VOCAL-NY CELEBRATES THE SENATE’S PASSAGE OF LIFESAVING BILL TO DECRIMINALIZE AND EXPAND ACCESS TO SYRINGES IN NEW YORK ALBANY, N.Y. — Today, the New York State Senate passed S2523/A868, legislation to decriminalize syringes and

After a Fight Spanning Over a Decade, VOCAL-NY Celebrates the Senate’s Passage of Lifesaving Bill to Decriminalize and Expand Access to Syringes in New York Read More »

NBC News: Forty years after first documented AIDS cases, survivors reckon with ‘dichotomy of feelings’

In the News / By

“AIDS in the United States is not over, and especially it’s not over in the Global South or around the world,” said Jawanza James Williams, the director of organizing at VOCAL-NY, a nonprofit that helps low-income people impacted by HIV and AIDS. “There’s a sort of tendency to talk in the past tense, as if HIV and AIDS, as an epidemic, has been ended in the States, and it erases the realities and the experiences of Black people, of brown people, or poor people, people that are uninsured, and it really misses the mark.”

NBC News: Forty years after first documented AIDS cases, survivors reckon with ‘dichotomy of feelings’ Read More »

City Limits: City Council Votes to Raise Value of Housing Vouchers for Homeless New Yorkers

In the News / By

VOCAL-NY Housing Campaign Coordinator Joseph Loonam said the “victory is a testament to the power of homeless New Yorkers who fought for this bill.”

“But unfortunately, we did not get all the reforms we needed,” Loonam added. “In the last days of negotiations with the Administration, the City Council negotiated away key provisions that protected people from losing their voucher — without any input from directly impacted New Yorkers.”

City Limits: City Council Votes to Raise Value of Housing Vouchers for Homeless New Yorkers Read More »

The Clock is Ticking: VOCAL-NY Calls on Senate and Assembly Leadership to Pass Unfinished Business in Last Days of Session

Press Statements / By

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, May 28, 2021 CONTACT Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org, 203 470 9979 THE CLOCK IS TICKING: VOCAL-NY CALLS ON SENATE AND ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP TO PASS UNFINISHED BUSINESS IN LAST DAYS OF SESSION Lawmakers Joined VOCAL-NY at Press Conference in April to Demand Legislation to Support New Yorkers Left Out of Final State Budget

The Clock is Ticking: VOCAL-NY Calls on Senate and Assembly Leadership to Pass Unfinished Business in Last Days of Session Read More »

Homeless New Yorkers Win Historic Passage of Intro 146; Fight Continues to Make CityFHEPS Stronger

Press Statements / By

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, May 27, 2021 CONTACT Mariah McGough, Mariah@vocal-ny.org, 203-470-9979 Homeless New Yorkers Win Historic Passage of Intro 146; Fight Continues to make CityFHEPS Stronger NEW YORK — In response to the passage of Intro 146, VOCAL-NY released this statement attributable to Joseph Loonam, Housing Campaign Coordinator: “After years of fighting to end

Homeless New Yorkers Win Historic Passage of Intro 146; Fight Continues to Make CityFHEPS Stronger Read More »

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