On March 11, encampment sweeps restarted in New York City. Sweeps are harmful: they lead to people losing their belongings (including items that help them stay warm in the cold) and destroy trust with outreach workers. They’re also ineffective: as the Safety Net Project wrote in a powerful post, just 5% of folks displaced by sweeps during the previous administration accepted shelter placement, and even fewer stayed in shelter for more than a few days. (Curious why some folks might hesitate to enter shelters? We’d recommend reading this 2021 report from the Coalition for the Homeless about the experiences of unsheltered New Yorkers.)

We’re calling our City Council Members to let them know that their constituents want real solutions to homelessness—not cruel and ineffective sweeps. Check out this guide for details on how to find who your Council Member is, how and when to call them, and what to say—and then make sure to fill out this form to let us know how the call went!