City's Plan: Give Homeless Break on Rent
MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL
Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration is seeking $40 million in state funding to launch a new rental subsidy program to combat an unprecedented level of homelessness in New York City, part of a multifaceted policy proposal that officials plan to outline Monday.
Gilbert Taylor, commissioner of the city's Department of Homeless Services, is scheduled to provide the most detailed accounting of the administration's plans to reduce homelessness when he testifies before the City Council at a budget oversight hearing Monday. As of last week, more than 53,000 people, including nearly 23,000 children, slept in city shelters, city records show.
While the mayor's aides said they hope the new policy prescriptions will ultimately reduce the shelter census, officials didn't provide any specific targets to judge whether the administration's efforts are successful. It was also unclear how quickly some of these initiatives could move forward, in part because the city must seek state approvals.
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