As our city continues to face challenging economic and public health outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns around access to safe and affordable permanent housing are intensifying. But already, when someone leaves the criminal legal system, far too often, returning home is simply not an option. In 2017, over half of the people paroled from New York State prisons went directly to homeless shelters. Formerly incarcerated people are nearly 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public, often facing challenges to permanent and safe housing.
Read more from Council Members Stephen Levin and Keith Powers in the NY Daily News.