Reach out to your NYC Council Member to urge them to sign onto Intro. 210, a bill that would end the 30- and 60-day shelter stay limits that the city has imposed on asylum seekers experiencing homelessness.
Find out who your Council Member is (and how to reach them) by going to https://www.mygovnyc.org/ and typing in your address
Check if your Council Member’s name is listed here as a co-sponsor of Introduction 210.
If they are not a co-sponsor, see below for a sample email to send to your Council Member, but don't be limited by this text! Please add details about your own experiences and reasons for supporting Council Member Hanif's bill to end the practice of issuing 30- and 60-day notices to asylum-seekers in city shelters!
If your Council Member is already a co-sponsor, send them an email or give them a call to thank them for their support!
Once you’ve reached out, send us a quick email (info@openheartsinitiative.org) to let us know that you did (so we can keep track of the outreach going on!) and any response you received.
Sample Email:
Dear Council Member [NAME],
I write in support of Introduction 210, which would end the practice of issuing 30- and 60-day shelter stay limits for asylum-seekers.
Losing shelter placements is destabilizing for our neighbors because it disconnects them from the services and support networks they have built at their shelters and in their new neighborhoods. Removing individuals and families from shelters does not make housing easier to access, it just creates chaos and confusion. This legislation is all the more urgent given that single adult asylum seekers are now losing their right to reapply for shelter after hitting the initial stay limit.
The City must stop the inhumane practice of issuing 30- and 60-day notices to migrant individuals and families who receive placements in city shelters. As your constituent, I support Introduction 210. Will you sign on as a co-sponsor of this legislation?
Please reach out to me with any questions.
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS OR CROSS STREETS TO CONFIRM THAT YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT]