Mayor Adams’ roadmap to housing our neighbors

As a formerly homeless New Yorker, I have experienced firsthand the life-altering impact of moving from shelter into permanent housing. For years, I bounced between shelters, slept on subway trains, park benches, and in other unsafe environments. My physical and mental health deteriorated without the security of a home, making it feel impossible to stabilize my life.

The only real, long-term solution to homelessness is permanent housing. A home provides stability, safety, and the sense of security vital for healing trauma and getting back on track. This is why I support Mayor Adams’ commitment to tackling both homelessness and the lack of affordable housing in tandem.

Since taking office in 2022, Adams has taken decisive action to address housing insecurity and homelessness through a 360-degree approach focused on creating more affordable housing and helping New Yorkers transition out of shelters — from lifting the 90-day rule, which kept people waiting in shelter for longer than needed, to expanding eligibility for CityFHEPS vouchers so more households in shelter can access vouchers.

More recently, the city allowed CityFHEPS vouchers to be used across the state, a move that significantly expanded the housing options New Yorkers in shelter had access to. And just this month, the city launched CityFHEPS voucher renewal and status tracking online, to ensure more long-term stability for voucher holders.

To tackle both sides of this crisis, the administration has built more supportive homes, more homes for the formerly homeless, and more homes for extremely low-income New Yorkers than ever before in our city’s history. They’ve also focused on process improvements and invested in training for shelter staff to expedite placements to permanent housing.

Despite budget pressures, these decisive actions have driven a 17% increase in shelter to housing placements over the past year, but of course there is more work to do. More than 10,000 households in shelter have vouchers in hand but still struggle to find available affordable units.

While some proposals, like the City Council’s $17 billion package of bills focused on the CityFHEPS voucher program, have good intentions, we must consider pragmatic solutions that can drive real change. Expanding voucher eligibility to New Yorkers who are not in shelter, in an already extremely tight housing market puts those most in need at the back of the line. And with staff shortages and frontline worker burnout at the city’s shelters, we need fresh ideas to address homelessness, the lack of affordable housing, and the migrant crisis compassionately.

This requires collaboration between the City Council, the Adams administration, impacted communities, and all New York City stakeholders to find efficiencies and cut waste while protecting vital services. Well-meaning but prohibitively expensive new bureaucracies could worsen budget strains without delivering progress for those suffering most.

As one who has experienced substandard nonprofit shelters firsthand, I believe we must look beyond the “shelter industrial complex” to lasting housing solutions. The root challenge is our housing shortage — we simply have not built enough affordable units to meet the need. Outdated zoning restrictions continue blocking development in many neighborhoods across the five boroughs.

The mayor has taken bold steps to overhaul these land use policies. But all levels of government must work to modernize regulations and incentivize affordable development if we are to realize the scale of housing New York City so desperately requires.

We cannot let unattainable ideals deter practical reforms that improve lives now. Evidence and experience show housing is the most compassionate, cost-effective solution to heal our city. With state and federal partnership, I believe the mayor’s housing-focused approach can lead us closer to making the human right of a safe, stable home a reality for every New Yorker.

As someone who has slept on the streets and lived through the trauma of housing insecurity, I support collaborative solutions rooted in the real-life experience of impacted New Yorkers. Adams knows the importance of listening to leaders on the ground, which is why he brought advocates like me to the table and listened to those with lived expertise to shape pragmatic reforms.

The mayor offers a realistic roadmap for transitioning New Yorkers from shelters into permanent homes and his housing-focused approach can lead us closer to making the human right of a safe, stable home a reality for all.

I urge all elected officials and stakeholders who care about equity and human dignity to unite behind these comprehensive efforts. Together, we can heal our city by building on the measurable progress the Adams administration has already achieved. Our collective action can build a model for cities nationwide where no one is forced to endure the trauma of housing insecurity and homelessness.

DaBaron, aka Da Homeless Hero, is an advocate for the homeless.