CONTACT: Mariah McGough, Mariah@vocal-ny.org 

HOMES CAN’T WAIT COALITION CALLS ON MAMDANI TO FULLY IMPLEMENT CITYFHEPS EXPANSION

See Videos From the Rally Here

NEW YORK — Today, the Homes Can’t Wait Coalition rallied on the steps of New York City Hall to call on Mayor Mamdani to keep campaign promises and expand CityFHEPS to those in shelters who are currently ineligible for the program and to households facing eviction.

“Homeless New Yorkers enthusiastically supported a new era of governance in New York City and are dismayed at the politics-as-usual approach from Mayor Mamdani. Far too many homeless New Yorkers are languishing in shelters because they aren’t eligible for CityFHEPS and/or are priced out of available housing options. We ask the Mayor to work with us to develop an interrelated strategy that invests in rental assistance programs, affordable and supportive housing, and expanded housing-first programs. The Mayor still has time to pivot and regain the trust of homeless New Yorkers by working with us to expand CityFHEPS fully,” said Elizabeth Mackey, Homelessness Union Leader at VOCAL-NY.

“We demand full expansion of the CityFHEPS laws of 2023. We hope Mayor Mamdani does not follow in Mayor Adams’ footsteps and betray unhoused and working class New Yorkers. I know many people in my community waiting on the CityFHEPS expansion laws so they don’t have to keep going back to housing court over and over again. I know people in shelters and on the street who are waiting. Enough is enough! Don’t balance the budget off the backs of low income and rent burdened tenants and homeless people Mr. Mayor!” said Calvin Michael, Safety Net Activists & Safety Net Project.

“At any given time, about two-thirds of our shelter residents do not have access to the rental subsidy they need to secure permanent housing. Without that support, there is very little we can offer clients who are ready and able to begin the next chapter of their lives. The CityFHEPS expansion laws would be a game-changer and must be implemented in full. Any compromise that picks apart which of our residents are deemed deserving of this life-changing opportunity is no compromise at all,” said Dr. Jeffrey R. Ginsburg, President and CEO, Volunteers of America – Greater New York.

“CityFHEPS is one of the City’s most effective tools for preventing homelessness and helping New Yorkers leave shelter for permanent housing. The expansion was debated, negotiated, and enacted through the legislative process. It is now the law. We call on the Mayor to fully fund the expansion,” said Kristin Miller, Executive Director of Homeless Services United. 

“Urban Pathways stands in solidarity with so many that says CityFHEPS is more than a housing program – it is a reflection of a society‘s commitment to dignity, stability, and basic human needs. Access to safe, affordable housing is foundational; without it, employment, health, and community durability all become precarious. Programs like CityFHEPS acknowledges that housing is not nearly a commodity, but a prerequisite for participation in civic life. 

Ultimately, how a society treats and prioritizes programs like CityFHEPS becomes a moral measure of its values. Investing in housing support affirms the belief that everyone deserves a fair chance at stability and safety. Withholding that investment, or allowing it to erode, raises difficult questions about compassion, equity, and the kind of community we are willing to be,” says Gary P. Jenkins, Interim CEO Of Urban Pathways 

“CityFHEPS is the primary pathway enabling people to exit shelter to stable, permanent housing. It is an essential tool for making New York City affordable for the lowest income New Yorkers. The Mayor must fulfill his promise to end the litigation and expand CityFHEPS eligibility to reduce the shelter census and relieve capacity pressures, and to ensure that individuals and families can find homes instead of cycling in and out of the shelter system,” said Alison Wilkey, Director of Government Affairs and Strategic Campaigns at the Coalition for the Homeless.

“Mayor Mamdani must follow through with his promise to fully implement the 2023 CityFHEPS expansion laws. CityFHEPS is one of New York City’s most effective tools for moving people out of homelessness and into safe, stable housing. If the Mayor wants to make good on his campaign promise to make New York City affordable, he must acknowledge that “the rent is too damn high” and help rent burdened households remain in their homes by expanding CityFHEPS in-community. Allowing families to fall into homelessness and losing some of the most affordable rental units in New York City is short-sighted and illogical. We should be stabilizing communities by keeping people in their homes, and moving homeless folks out of the shelter as quickly as possible with the expanded CityFHEPS eligibility,” said Amy Blumsack, Director of Organizing and Policy at Neighbors Together. 

“Good Shepherd Services continues to advocate to expand CityFHEPS eligibility for runaway and homeless youth (RHY) and youth transitioning out of foster care by counting their time spent in the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and the Administration of Children Services (ACS) programs toward the 90-day shelter requirement. The City’s adult shelter system is overwhelmed with a record number of homeless individuals entering shelter so to require vulnerable youth to enter the adult homeless shelter system to access a voucher the law already states they are eligible for, is unacceptable.  GSS urges the Council to ensure youth in need of these vouchers can access them without any further delay,” said Michelle Yanche, Chief Executive Officer at Good Shepherd Services.   

“CityFHEPS is a proven program that has allowed thousands of New Yorkers to leave shelter for good. Amid a persistent homelessness crisis, we are calling on Mayor Mamdani to honor his promise, drop the legal challenge, and expand CityFHEPS,” said Christine C. Quinn, President & CEO of Win. “Every day the City delays this expansion means more families stuck without permanent housing, compounded trauma, and higher costs for the City.”

“Residents of any NYC-operated shelter or transitional housing program for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness should have equal access to CityFHEPS vouchers,” said Valerie Reyes-Jimenez, City Organizer at Housing Works. “For example, participants in the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) transitional housing program—serving people leaving incarceration without stable housing—work hard to restore their lives and prepare for the workforce. Yet even after securing employment, many cannot afford housing in New York City and remain ineligible for subsidies. Expanding CityFHEPS access would allow them to reenter the community with dignity and build the independence needed to contribute fully to the City’s life.”

BACKGROUND:

Mayor Mamdani, while running for office, pledged to drop the lawsuit and implement and expand the 2023 CityFHEPS reforms. Homeless New Yorkers are deeply disappointed in the Mayor’s reversal and abandonment of campaign promises. 

The Mayor still has time to pivot and work to expand CityFHEPS to those in shelter currently ineligible for the program and to households facing eviction. The expansion and implementation of CityFHEPS are crucial tools in realizing Mayor Mamdani’s goal of a more affordable New York for working-class and low-income New Yorkers. To accomplish this goal, New York City must invest in solutions like CityFHEPS that keep people in their homes and to get people housed.  

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