2021 Mayoral Forum
What’s on the Minds of New Yorkers Directly Impacted By Homelessness?
On February 4, 2021, Open Hearts and Shams DaBaron, aka “Da Homeless Hero,” held a New York City mayoral candidate forum, where candidates for mayor answered to the experts on homelessness: homeless people themselves. It was a historic, first-of-its-kind event that opened new pathways for communication between homeless New Yorkers and high-ranking city officials.
So, what’s on the minds of New Yorkers directly impacted by homelessness? See the questions they asked the candidates below, and watch the full mayoral forum.
Video Questions
From Annette
From Ashley
From Carlene
From Cedric
From Charisma
From Fannie
From Felix
From Flowers
From Josh
From Karim
From Larry
From Maria
From Milton
From Peter
From Roberto
From Scott
From Yuni
From Our Inbox
“Since NYC’s vacancy rate has been rising and is expected to rise even higher with the completion of housing projects and people continuing to leave the City, will you, as Mayor, direct the Interagency Council on Homelessness, which includes HRA, DHS and HPD, to streamline the process of getting people from streets and shelters into housing?”
— Peter
“Is NYC supposed to be just for elites? Because a $15/hour job will only provide $1,872/month (after taxes) and the least expensive price for a studio rental in NYC is $1500. What will you do to help increase the minimum wage according to market price on rental, food, etc.?”
— Anonymous
“Candidate Mike Bloomberg claimed he was a financial genius and said he would end homelessness. Instead, we increased homelessness. Candidate de Blasio claimed he had all the answers because he used to work for HUD, and the same thing happened. Both of them crumbled when someone came to them and said we are having budgetary problems. What will you do when a bean counter in your administration says taking care of the homeless is a budgetary problem?”
— Bill
“People that are homeless need access to WiFi to look for housing, take care of medical appointments and keep in touch with loved ones. What will you do to ensure homeless NYers have access to WiFi in shelters and hotels?”
— Luis
“The city FEPS is too small to use to find an apartment in the city, and landlord perceptions against families coming from shelters make it even harder to find an apartment. What will you do to fix vouchers and correct landlord perceptions?”
— Crystal
“The City of NY had 703 hotels with 138,000 hotel rooms at the start of 2020 according to the Hotel Association of NYC. Analysts estimate that as many as 25,000 hotel rooms, about 20%, won't reopen post-COVID 19. As Mayor, would you develop a plan to repurpose some of these hotels to house homeless New Yorkers, and would your administration provide opportunities and financing assistance for non-profit housing providers to purchase hotels to house the homeless?”
— Anonymous
“The Human Resources Administration and the Department of Homeless Services have the same Commissioner, Steven Banks, so why is it that when a single women who is displaced by Domestic Violence and is not eligible to enter the Tier 2 system of HRA because she does not have a family unit is transferred over to DHS and gets lost in the system? And once in these shelters, the need and services of a DV client are not being met such as counseling, support groups and DV housing. Why is it that a DV client is being told that the reason you have not been called for housing after a 2 year period is because you don’t meet the DHS categorization of substance abuse, alcoholism or Severe Mental Illness?”
— Anonymous
“Why don’t intake shelters have an orientation to help homeless residents navigate the very stressful process of entering a shelter? Most companies upon hiring employees educate their new workers about the expectations, requirements, goals, and objectives of their new employment. The homeless shelter should be no different. A positive and informative introduction to the intake shelter would alleviate stress, confusion, anxiety, and fear. As a current homeless person anxiously awaiting transfer into a hotel room, I can attest to the fact that this would have been such an immense support for me, and I’m even willing to create my own orientation guide to share with new residents.“
— Fontaine
HPD Spends exactly $6,319.04 for my nephew and I to stay in a hotel room. I’m registered with HousingConnect2.0. According to the site, a 2 bedroom apartment lists for $2499. A savings of $3,819.05. The City could have been redirecting this sum for the past 3 years. We are not the only ones. A 2 bed, 2 bath condo sells for $217k. How will you connect the 14,000 available apartments to people in need?
— Anonymous
“Have you examined any of the successful homeless programs outside of the US? What are they doing that NYC is not doing?”
— Anonymous
“I have been personally affected by Homelessness. Homeless still after 6 years. Disabled adult with no more options. Who determines the demographics of Homelessness and why is there so much red tape? It keeps people dizzy from the revolving door of poverty.”"
— Sindy
It is very hard to be referred to NYCHA for an apartment. What will you do to connect homeless individuals to NYCHA directly?
— Crystal
“How do you envision 2030 in NYC? What would you do to improve food and safety (quality of life) in shelters?”
— Jeanne
“Where do you stand on the Right to Shelter?”
— Anonymous
Are you for or against the Gowanus development?
