City Funding Refusal Threatens Welfare of Thousands of Homeless LGBTQ Youth
Media Contact: Lucky Michaels
MCCNY Homeless Youth Services
(212) 629-7440
City Funding Refusal Threatens Welfare of Thousands of Homeless LGBTQ Youth
The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) has failed to consider $253,718 in funding for Sylvia’s Place, a project of MCCNY Homeless Youth Services, thus jeopardizing the welfare of over 1,000 homeless and runaway LGBTQ youth in the coming year who would rely on Sylvia’s Place services.
MCCNY Homeless Youth Services operates Sylvia’s Place, which currently provides 1/3 of the city’s existing beds for LGBTQ homeless and runaway youth, who face harassment, violence and discrimination at mainstream shelters. Without DYCD funding, the LGBTQ youth waiting on transitional beds at the Ali Forney Center and Green Chimneys—a process which can take a long time—will be forced back to the streets.
“Losing contact with at-risk youth will mean that we will be unable to locate them when their names come up on months-long waiting lists,” said MCCNY Homeless Youth Services Director Lucky S. Michaels. “We will also be unable to ensure that the youth receive the services—food, medical care, and shelter—they need, and the assistance they require to avoid future interactions with law enforcement.”
Of the nearly 3.800 youth who are homeless in New York City every night, over 1080 identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a 2007 study by the Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services. Sylvia’s Place currently houses 26 of the only 75 beds for LGBTQ homeless youth in the city.
“Without DYCD funding for drop-in centers in Manhattan, all Sylvia’s Place’s programs are at great risk of closing, reducing the LGBTQ bed per client ration to well below 2007 levels.,” said the Reverend Pat Bumgardner, Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of New York.
“The recurrence of these city funding refusals to LGBTQ-specific social service organizations brings into question not only the welfare of the City’s LGBTQ community but also the willingness of city agencies to protect LGBTQ New Yorkers,” said Morán-Berberena.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Tell the DYCD and City Council that the futures of LGBTQ homeless youth matter! Forward this message to your press and network contacts and get the word out that LGBTQ youth are at risk of losing vital services!
E-mail your letter (see example below) to:
Daniel Symon, DYCD Chief Contracting Officer
dsymon@dycd.nyc.gov
Jeanne B. Mullgrav, Commissioner DYCD
jmullgrav@dycd.nyc.gov
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4/2: Women, Take The Power: Life & Financial Planning Forum
WOMEN, TAKE THE POWER: LIFE & FINANCIAL PLANNING FORUM
Lesbian, bisexual, transgender women and women living with HIV, must take extra steps to protect ourselves and our families. Come discuss second parent adoptions, wills, healthcare proxies, and more, and take home resources to help you plan ahead.
A panel of experts will provide information and answer questions on topics including elder issues, hospital visitation rights, working with HIV, and tips for surviving today’s tight economy. Learn to take the power.
Please RSVP online or by contacting dpatenaude@lambdalegal.org or 212-809-8585 x249. DOWNLOAD THE FLYER HERE!
3/19: QEJ Joins Picture The Homeless Rally & Building Action in East Harlem
They say gentrify…WE SAY OCCUPY! HOMELESS PEOPLE are TAKING OVER.
Please JOIN QEJ as we rally in solidarity with PICTURE THE HOMELESS and homeless folks who are fighting back against property warehousing. East Harlem is full of vacant buildings and lots, which are owned by private landlords as well as the city, at the same time as rents—and homelessness—continue to climb. In fact, the borough of Manhattan contains enough vacant properties to house every homeless family in the city! EAST HARLEM SAYS ENOUGH.
3/16: Picture The Homeless Presents Report on Housing Takeovers Across the Country
Heard about the foreclosure crisis? Heard about people helping each other to stay in their homes despite foreclosure, or people moving homeless people into empty properties? Well if you want to know more about this movement to take over housing from banks and return it to people. DOWNLOAD THE FLYER HERE!
Homeless Advocates Uncover Denial Of Services To Straight & LGBT Young Adults
HOMELESS ADVOCATES UNCOVER DENIAL OF SERVICES TO STRAIGHT & LGBT YOUNG ADULTS
Advocates Call Townhall Meeting on March 11, 2009 to Discuss How Homeless New Yorkers Are Being “Turned Away”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK,—After documenting dozens of stories of homeless young adults denied the right to access city shelters, New York advocates, service providers and the homeless are seeking answers from the Department of Homeless Services, and will be sharing those stories on a panel titled “TURNED AWAY: How Have Young Adults Been Denied Access to City Shelter?”, which is being organized and moderated by Queers for Economic Justice. The event happens on Wednesday, March 11th at 6:30pm at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center (208 W 13th St). Panelists include Joey Lopez, Ali Forney Center; Diana Olaizola, Coalition for the Homeless; Nancy Downing, Covenant House; Jane Bock, Legal Aid Society; and Anya Mukarji-Connolly, the Peter Cicchino Youth Project.
Although New York State policy allows long-term shelter access to homeless adults over 18 years of age, countless homeless young adults over 18 are being denied this right. They have been told they are “too young” and have been sent to youth agencies that can only offer short term shelter.
In 2008, Convenant House was referred over 259 young mothers (including pregnant women), and their more than 149 children by Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing or PATH (which is the Department of Homeless Services’ family intake center), according to Nancy Dowling, Director of Advocacy/Legal at Covenant House New York. All of these mothers between the ages of 18 and 21. However, many of these young mothers were told that they did not qualify for Department of Homeless Services because of their age or that the only place available for them was Covenant House.
“These actions are in direct violation of the City’s own stated policies,” said Joseph N. DeFilippis, Executive Director of Queers for Economic Justice. “We came together months ago when many of our organizations were hearing horror stories from young adults who were given the runaround, and DHS has never explained why this is happening.”
According to Diana Olaizola, Shelter Inspector at Coalition for the Homeless, “every homeless adult over the age of 18 has a right to get services in any city shelter for adults. No one can/should be denied shelter access”. Yet organizers and advocates continue to see this happening with young adults. In NYC, at least one-third of homeless youth self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
“The issue at hand is DHS lack of effort to make sure young people 18-21 no matter what gender get the opportunity to access their shelters,” said Joey Lopez, Coordinator of Policy & Training for the Ali Forney Center. “This includes their own inability to give young people 18-21 the adequate & proper services they deserve in a culturally & non-judgmental manner once in their care.”
Co-Sponsored by:
The Ali Forney Center
The NYC Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project
Audre Lorde Project
Coalition for the Homeless
Green Chimneys
Hetrick Martin Institute
Lambda Legal
The LGBT Community Center
Metropolitan Community Church of New York
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
New York Legal Assistance Group
Picture The Homeless
Queens Community House
Queers for Economic Justice
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
Urban Justice Center
Welfare Rights Initiative
The event is open to the public and admission is free. The event, which is free to the public, will be held at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, at 208 West 13th Street in New York City on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 from 6:30pm -8:30pm.
Queers for Economic Justice is a progressive non-profit organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation. To learn more about QEJ and our Shelter Organizing Project, visit www.q4ej.org
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3/11: QEJ Moderates Panel on Homeless 18-Yr Olds
Turned Away
How Have Young Adults Being Denied Access to City Shelters?
Video from NJ4 Protest in NYC
3/8: QEJ Speaks on Homophobic Violence at Riverside Church
Given the recent cases of violence against queers in NYC, this event at Riverside Church is going to be very timely, and important. It’s also exciting because there will be an analysis of violence that homeless LGBT folks face in the shelter system and on the streets, which is often missing from conversations around bias violence. Download a .pdf of the flyer here.
