Published Feb. 17, 2025 in the Times Union. Link to article. Archived link.
As an organizer with the National Union of the Homeless, I work closely with the un-housed community of Albany. We are exhausted by the housing crisis in New York state, and we are not alone in feeling that way. Thousands of New Yorkers are suffering from the threat of eviction and homelessness.
We are calling on the governor and Legislature to take action by passing the Housing Access Voucher Program, which would provide rental assistance to lift people out of homelessness and keep low-income tenants in their homes.
I experienced homelessness for the second time from 2021 through 2024. My crisis began when my marriage suddenly came to an end. In the blink of an eye, I went from having the support of my husband's income to only my own. I received Social Security Disability and I worked part-time, but I could not afford to secure and maintain housing on my own. I immediately applied for public housing, and, after the arduous application process, I was placed on the waiting list. The estimated wait is two years, or longer. I am still on that list. Meanwhile, I have been watching my health decline.
Living at or below the poverty line is like walking a tightrope. We try to maintain balance under extraordinary pressure. The Housing Access Voucher Program is the safety net New Yorkers need when we fall. The governor and Legislature must include this critical lifeline in this year’s state budget.