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Inspired, strengthened and sustained by faith, the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing is committed to confronting the unconscionable and unacceptable reality of homelessness in New York City. Recognizing society's shared responsibility and working as partners with those who have experienced homelessness, the Assembly will mobilize communities of faith to empower all people, to advocate public policies to eliminate homelessness, and strive for the transformation of society.

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The Interfaith Assembly addresses the crisis of homelessness and the shortage of affordable housing in two ways. Through our empowerment programs we help those who have been homeless to recover from the trauma associated with their homelessness, and with our advocacy partners we work to “Build the Blessed City Together” and promote public policies that will – produce affordable housing; prevent homelessness, provide important services; and promote income and employment.On both these fronts, there has been much recent activity.

In the area of empowerment, in late 2007 the Assembly received a generous grant in memory of Andrew Stallman which has enabled us to assist three community partners in replicating the very effective life-skills program that we helped to establish in 1989 with New York Catholic Charities. These include "Break Through", established by Mercy Haven, Inc. in Sayville on Long Island; "Rebuilding Towards Manhood" organized by the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica; and in partnership with Congregation Ansche Chesed and other upper west side congregations, the first Synagogue based program entitled Face to Face" ("Panim al Panim"). The Assembly also assisted St. Francis Xavier Church to re-activate its own Education-Outreach Program in downtown Manhattan.We are currently exploring the development of a number of other life-skills program sites as well as working with Fordham University in developing a project to document the long term effectiveness of this program model.

Killings of Homeless Rise to Highest Level in a Decade

By ERIC LICHTBLAU, New York Times, August 18, 2010

WASHINGTON — Killings of homeless people have risen to their highest level in a decade, with 43 people killed last year and many more injured in often brutal attacks that are raising concerns among law enforcement officials, rights advocates and politicians, according to new data due to be released this week.

The rise in killings, from 27 in 2008, comes as many state and local governments are wrestling with the problem of what to do with the growing number of people forced onto the streets by economic woes. Some states and cities are moving to prosecute violence against the homeless as a hate crime, while others have taken a different tack by imposing tougher measures to prevent people from living on the streets in the first place.

Marc Greenberg on WBAI August 30

Interfaith Assembly's Executive Director, Marc Greenberg, will be on 99.5-FM WBAI's "Housing Notebook" at 8pm, Monday, August 30. Tune in.

Judge Applies Stuyvesant Town Ruling Retroactively

From the New York Law Journal

Statement of Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson on Signing of Illegal Hotel Bill

Statement of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg:

“By signing this bill into law, the Governor has helped us clear up ambiguities in the law that have hindered our ability to take enforcement actions against illegal hotels. When housing designated for permanent occupancy is illegally converted into a hotel, unsafe conditions are created, the residential character of City neighborhoods is harmed and the supply of much-needed units of housing is depleted. The bill provides a clear definition of what constitutes transient and permanent occupancy, which will allow City agencies to issue summonses and initiate other enforcement actions against illegal hotels.

“I would like to thank Governor Paterson, bill sponsors Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Housing Committee Chair Vito Lopez, Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement Director Shari C. Hyman, the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council and the Hotel Association for their efforts.”

Statement of Governor David A. Paterson:

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