Mayor Adams unveils plan to find affordable housing for homeless in NYC
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- New York City officials are unveiling an ambitious, new plan to find homes for the homeless.
"I'm an ex-city employee, pro chef, cancer survivor, I am not what stigma says," Housing Vouchers recipient Ernestine Jackson said.
Jackson is a single mother of a teenage boy and knows how fine the line is between affordable housing and the streets, and she will not be defined by her struggle.
Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday an ambitious, new menu of options for those without a roof designed to cut down on red tape, reduce requirements for vouchers and other programs, and even open up more neighborhoods for those in need.
"We're going to help 1,400 more families move into higher income communities," Adams said.
City Hall is also hoping to cut out shelters where possible and move those on the streets straight into housing.
"Not only going to put a roof on their head, but they are going to hold their hands go through each process. This is what I call being trauma-informed," former homeless resident Alida Tchicamboud said.
Among the voices heard in this policy change are those who have been on the streets.
While advocates applaud the announcement, the Homeless Coalition is now asking the city to cast an even wider net.
"Right now people without citizenship are not eligible for most of the subsidies," Coalition for the Homeless Policy Director Jacquelyn Simone said.
For Jackson, having a safe place to call home has given her hope.
"I'm a fighter. I fight for my son, for his safety. My next dream is to get a house, and purchase a house someday," Jackson said.
ALSO READ | Mother seeking answers when son found dead after night out in NYC
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
