New York Development News

Council, Advocates Demand Mayor Fund City FEPS Expansion to Combat Homelessness

The City Council, advocates, and community leaders gathered to advocate for the expansion and full funding of the City FEPS (Family Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement) program. Speakers emphasized that the program is a crucial lifeline for low-income New Yorkers and families in shelters, preventing evictions and providing stable housing at a significantly lower cost than the shelter system. They criticized the administration for continuing litigation against the program's expansion, which was passed by the council in 2023, and urged the mayor to fulfill his campaign promise to drop the lawsuits and implement the expansion. The urgency was highlighted by the high number of families and children in shelters and the preventable evictions occurring, with speakers stressing that housing is a human right and a fundamental solution to multiple city crises.