Photos from the 2004 opening of the
Building the Blessed City Campaign

1) Permanent Housing Production

• Create 100,000 New Housing Units Over Ten Years, 33,000 Affordable to Low-Income Families
• Create 3,000 Units of Supportive Housing for Formerly Homeless Families & 13,000 Units for Homeless Individuals
• Maximize Incentives for Developers to Create More Affordable Housing by Overhauling Existing Zoning and Tax Incentive Programs
• Fund the National Housing Trust Fund and a Trust Fund in NY to Preserve and Increase the Supply of Affordable Housing for Those Who Need It Most

2) Homelessness Prevention

• Maintain Existing Housing Stock through Aggressive Enforcement of Housing Codes and through Adequate Funding of Affordable Housing Programs in the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD)
• Preserve Existing Federally and State Subsidized Low and Middle Income Housing and Also Fair and Effective Rent and Eviction Laws to Maintain Affordable Housing
• Establish an Early Warning Homelessness Prevention System Through the Creation of Community-Based Prevention Programs, especially in High-Risk Neighborhoods, and the Coordination of All Public and Private Agencies
• Provide Legal Assistance to All Individuals and Households with Housing Problems through the Coordinated Efforts of Anti-Eviction and Legal Service Providers, Government, and Community-Based Prevention Programs
• Increase Funding and Access to Emergency Cash Assistance and Emergency Grants to Families Facing a Housing Crisis
• Identify and Provide Housing Options for Those Being Released from Prisons, Institutions, and for Those Aging Out of Foster Care

3) Human Rights, Emergency and Support Services

• Respect the Rights and Dignity of Homeless People in Shelters, Drop-In Centers and Public Spaces
• Maintain the Right, and Remove the Barriers that Prevent Access, to Shelters and Drop-In Centers for Individuals and Families in Need
• Fund at Adequate Levels Services to Address the Needs of People on the Streets, in Shelters and in Drop-In Centers, Particularly Supportive Services for Special Needs Populations
• Empower Staff at All Shelter Access Points to Provide on-Site the Full Array of Needed Services and Benefits

4) Employment and Income Support

• Raise the Federal and State Minimum Wage and Expand the City Living Wage Law
• Create Local Living Wage Jobs and Train Workers Through Public/Private Partnerships
• Insure That Persons Working for Public Assistance Benefits Receive Appropriate Compensation and Have Opportunities for Education and Training
• Maximize Household Income by Streamlining Access to and Strengthening Federal and State Benefits While Also Increasing Outreach Initiatives
• Increase Rent Subsidies to meet Market Rents and Expand Availability of Rental Assistance
• Provide Adequate Funding for Section 8, and Other Federal Rental Assistance Programs, So that All Eligible Households Receive the Help They Need