Homelessness

Met Council supports the position that homelessness levels in New York City are a direct result of allowing the real estate industry to dictate housing policy on the state and city levels. The predictable result of pro-landlord policies:  Over 35,000 New York children and adults are homeless and living in city shelters.  New York City and State programs and laws create a system that allows private owners of property to make housing available only to the richest residents.  Today we have a city that allows weakened rent regulations; high rent increases; poor code enforcement; rampant cooperative and condominium conversion; wholesale destruction or conversion of Single Room Occupancy dwellings; and pro-landlord courts.  With too few affordable units for the vast numbers of low income people in New York, the homelessness crisis is at its worst with no end in sight.  While Met Council does not offer services directly to homeless people, we do work on issues that we think prevent homelessness:  stronger rent regulations, the use of state and city resources (tax abatements, land and zoning regulations) for the production of affordable housing, stronger code enforcement, and home rule.  And we work in coalitions with groups that organize and serve homeless families and individuals.  The organizations below offer direct services to homeless people as well as the advocacy necessary to change the policies and politics that allow homelessness to continue.