NY City Council Passes Bill to Help City’s Homeless Crisis
A May 25th press release by the New York City Council announced the passing of a major legislative package that includes a bill calling for the elimination of the 90-day shelter stay rule; and an increase of income eligibility by changing the income cutoff from 200% of the federal poverty line to 50% of the area median income — “equating to a jump from $46,060 to $60,050 for a family of three.” The bill that will vastly expand access to rental vouchers sparked opposition from Mayor Eric Adams, over fears that the legislative package will add “billions of dollars to the city’s budget at a precarious time.” In response, Women in Need (WIN), one of New York’s top providers of homeless shelters, claims that by easing the 90-day rule, the city would save the $28,000 cost of housing a family for 90 days in a hotel that has been repurposed for the homeless according to a recently commissioned report by the nonprofit.