Stringer Audit Reveals Weak City Oversight of $53 Million Homelessness Prevention Plan
Yesterday, City Comptroller Scott Stringer (D) released an audit exposing the city’s oversight – or lack thereof – of its $53 million-per‑year Homebase Program.
The program is intended to help families and single adults avoid homelessness and achieve housing stability. Stringer’s audit exposed failures by the City’s Human Resources Administration (HRA) to adequately and promptly review Homebase providers’ case files. Furthermore, the audit revealed long delays in the Human Resource Administration’s (HRA) fiscal reviews of its Homebase contracts.
“We are in the middle of a mounting homelessness crisis, with thousands of families struggling in our shelters,” said Stringer. “While the City is spending more money than ever before on services that are supposed to help people overcome and prevent homelessness, we are not seeing the reductions in homelessness that we should. This audit presents a damning example of the poor management and failures that plague the City’s approach to this ballooning crisis.”
Maloney Kicks Off 2020 Campaign
Yesterday, Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) formally announced her 2020 re-election campaign.
In November, Maloney became the first woman in American History to chair the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Since then, she has used her position to highlight issues like abortion access, family separation at the border, universal paid family leave and harassment and retaliation in the Coast Guard. She also led the charge to keep the Trump Administration’s question on citizenship off the census, which would have led to an undercount.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to serve the people of New York’s 12th District in Congress,” said Maloney. “2019 has been an extraordinary year in Congress, and I hope I’ve earned my constituents’ support for another term.”
Rodriguez to Lead “Our City, Our Vote” Rally
Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill) will be leading a rally to expand voting rights today.
The rally will mark the beginning of the “Our City, Our Vote” campaign, a movement to allow green card and work permit holders to vote in municipal elections. Rodriguez will be joined by the New York Immigration Coalition, United Neighborhood Houses, and a myriad of advocacy groups.
The event will take place at 12 p.m. today on the steps of City Hall.
