Advocates Blast New Work Requirement Tucked Into Mayor’s Housing Voucher Rule

2023-06-21T09:51:17-04:00June 17th, 2023|

City Limits

"Ethel Brown, a member of the Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Activists, accused the mayor of a “bait and switch” in a statement late Friday. Her organization is a strong proponent of the City Council’s broader voucher reform package."

Thousands of NYC Apartments for Homeless Sit Empty Amid Migrant Crisis

2023-05-30T16:17:20-04:00May 28th, 2023|

NY Daily News

"The [Safety Net Project of the] Urban Justice Center previously obtained data showing the city had about 2,600 empty supportive housing units in November 2022, indicating vacancy levels in the system have stayed nearly flat for months."

LISTEN: The Outreach Worker’s View — ‘At Best to Be Pitied’

2023-05-15T17:09:26-04:00May 14th, 2023|

The City

"Karim Walker is an organizing and outreach specialist for the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center. His job is to work mostly with New Yorkers living on the streets — a job that takes lots of communication, care and empathy, he told FAQ."

Subway Rider Choked Homeless Man to Death, Medical Examiner Rules

2023-05-08T16:15:37-04:00May 3rd, 2023|

New York Times

 “'There was no empathy on that train car,' said Karim Walker, an organizing and outreach specialist at the Urban Justice Center, who works with people who are homeless. There should be accountability for the death of Mr. Neely, he said."

City Repeatedly Sweeps West Village Homeless Woman But Can’t Confirm She’s Homeless For Housing Voucher

2023-04-24T15:37:34-04:00April 21st, 2023|

1010 Wins

"Staff with Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project are working on getting Vails a CityFHEPS housing voucher — a rent assistance program that anyone sleeping on the street should be eligible for....[but] DHS is refusing to grant her  a housing voucher until the agency can verify she is street homeless."

What Would It Take To Fully Fund Right To Counsel For NYC Tenants?

2023-04-17T13:55:30-04:00April 10th, 2023|

City Limits

“Obviously the providers want to meet the full representation goals, but that’s not necessarily possible under the current conditions,” - Marika Dias, managing director of the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center, a Right to Counsel provider.

Complaints over NYC rental voucher renewals and payments rise as city struggles with homeless

2023-04-10T16:21:34-04:00April 5th, 2023|

Yahoo! News

“We are seeing massive delays across the board with practically every single CityFHEPS voucher holder we’ve ever worked with,” said Helen Strom, advocacy director with the Justice Center’s Safety Net Project.

Women’s History Month Spotlight: Afua Atta-Mensah on the Black Immigrant Experience

2023-04-03T22:25:37-04:00March 28th, 2023|

Change Wire

"Our court systems don’t work for our people. When I was fighting for tenants’ rights as the Urban Justice Center’s Director of Litigation and Policy for the Safety Net Project...it would take years to get a decision."

Game of Roams: Homeless New Yorkers Say They’re Subject to Sleepless Game Amid City Sweeps

2023-02-13T20:01:55-05:00February 13th, 2023|

Manhattan Express News

"These sweeps are designed not to help people, but to break spirits. Mayor Adams and Commissioner Jenkins must stop these sweeps and offer people permanent homes,” Karim Walker said, an outreach worker and organizer with the Safety Net Project."