"I thank the mayor for declaring a state of emergency to address the two crises asylum seekers face: the real dangers that they seek refuge from in our country, and the man-made crisis created by conservative leaders who put a higher value on political points than people in need. The far right is doing the wrong thing, and people of progressive values – or even good conscience – have been and will continue to combat it with compassion and solutions.
"The state of emergency emphasizes, rather than excuses, our city’s need to uphold the right to shelter, and for those shelter conditions to align with my homeless bill of rights. The city must make sure to exhaust all options, including hotels and large venues like the Javits Center, before turning to options like the tents we have seen proposed, regardless of site– and any such structure needs to be subject to the same standards of services as other facilities, laid out in the homeless bill of rights. I have too often seen temporary solutions become more permanent patches on failing systems, and that cannot be allowed.
"On a city level, we must reform the CityFHEPS voucher system by eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic delays to moving people from shelters into permanent housing. Permanent, deeply affordable housing is the only way to address the city’s existing homelessness crisis, and will also help us meet the moment by making more space available in shelters.
"State and federal government must also step up – people in dire need can’t depend on political winds, and can’t wait until after Election Day for aid. We need to explore working with other municipalities to provide opportunity for asylum seekers, and we need funding from the federal government to meet this emergency that ultimately stems from a broken immigration system and decades of destructive foreign policy. On all levels of government, we have an obligation to do what we can, with what we have, for people who came to this country seeking safety and support."
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