RESOLUTION
BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT COLLINS-BELLAMY, MAJORITY LEADER RUBBO, MAJORITY WHIP ROBINSON, MINORITY LEADER BREEN, COUNCILMEMBERS, PINEDA -ISAAC, DIAZ AND MERANTE:
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RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL URGING THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY AND THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE TO PASS LEGISLATION TO CREATE A HOUSING ACCESS VOUCHER PROGRAM, AND FOR GOVERNOR HOCHUL TO SIGN THE LEGISLATION INTO LAW
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WHEREAS, homelessness in New York State has grown sharply, according to a report issued in January, 2025, by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli; and
WHEREAS, homelessness in the State more than doubled between January 2022 and January 2024, growing by 53.1% from January 2023 to January 2024 alone, more than 4 times the rest of the nation; and
WHEREAS, according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), in 2024 there were more than 158,000 homeless New Yorkers, or about 1 in 5 of the nation’s homeless population; and
WHEREAS, New York State’s rate of homelessness, at about 8 per 1,000 people, was higher than all the other states, except Hawaii, and the District of Columbia; and
WHEREAS, the number of homeless children increased from 20,299 to 50,773 in 2024 and almost 1 in 3 of New York State’s homeless are children, one of the highest shares in the country; and
WHEREAS, while New York City accounted for much of the increase in the state’s homeless population, other parts of the state have experienced double and triple-digit rate increases; and
WHEREAS, homelessness has also affected the City of Yonkers, where, according to the New York State Continuum of Care, there were 1,611 homeless people in Yonkers, Mt. Vernon and Westchester County in 2024, with homelessness in the region increasing between 2022 and 2024 by 19%, homeless children under the age of 18 increasing by 17% and homelessness among people living in families increasing by 22%; and
WHEREAS, according to HUD, homelessness in New York State has, among other factors, increased because of eviction proceedings, lack of affordable housing, increased rents, and an influx of asylum seekers; and
WHEREAS, rental assistance can help overcome these dual challenges, by furnishing the resources necessary to both retain housing (for people to remain in place) and address homelessness, and by subsidizing existing housing and providing the ability to pay rent; and
WHEREAS, a bill has been introduced into each of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate (A1704 and S72), to establish a housing access voucher program, which would provide the commissioner of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal the authority to (i) implement a program of rental assistance in the form of housing vouchers for eligible individuals and families who face the imminent loss of housing or homelessness and (ii) designate local administrators in the State to administer the program; and
WHEREAS, although lower-income New Yorkers experiencing or at-risk of homelessness already have access to a patchwork of existing rent subsidies, the proposed housing access voucher program would create a stable resource and reach far more people in need, including households working minimum-wage jobs; and
WHEREAS, the creation of a housing access voucher program and the submitted bills are widely supported, including, without limitation, by tenant organizations, renter groups, real estate business groups, landlord interest groups, and other housing and real estate advocates; and
WHEREAS, while the contemplated housing access voucher program would constitute a significant financial investment in housing, housing access voucher programs have historically been among the most successful means to help the homeless into permanent housing, to reduce shelter costs, and to provide a stable resource for persons otherwise at the mercy of the market; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this legislative body hereby supports New York State Assembly Bill A1704 and New York State Senate Bill S72, urges the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate to pass legislation establishing a housing access voucher program, and for Governor Hochul to sign said legislation into law.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council hereby directs the City Clerk to send a copy of this resolution to the Hon. Kathy Hochul (Governor), Hon. Speaker Carl E. Heastie (Speaker), Hon. Assemblywoman Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes (Majority Leader), Hon. Assemblyman William A. Barclay (Minority Leader), Hon. Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader), and Hon. Senator Robert G. Ortt (Minority Leader), for review and consideration.