Get people homes and support to keep them there
Manhattan: Re “Upping housing ante” (Feb. 22): When my children and I were escaping from an abusive relationship, my housing voucher was essential to finding our new home, so I’m incredibly heartened to see the City Council fighting to expand CityFHEPS and give more New Yorkers access to this life-changing resource. But I also know that expanding access to vouchers alone won’t be enough to help the thousands of New Yorkers living in shelters or in unsafe or unstable situations. Our city needs a plan to help homeless families find apartments they can afford.
I was lucky — the voucher I received through the federal Emergency Housing Voucher program came paired with a specialized housing navigator who worked tirelessly to help my family secure an apartment in a good neighborhood. Because we had access to these services provided by New Destiny, we could move into our permanent home within months of receiving our voucher, while many other families must stay in shelters for years before they can finally use their rental subsidy. New Destiny also made available aftercare services once we moved in. Everyone dealing with housing insecurity deserves this level of support.
Stable housing allowed my kids and I to heal from years of anxiety and trauma and begin to rebuild our lives. When the City Council prevails in their lawsuit and expands CityFHEPS, it’s essential that they pair it with housing navigation and aftercare so that every New Yorker facing housing instability has access to the same resources that I was fortunate enough to receive. Daniris Espinal