PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Barbara Manu on Housing Challenges and Health Issues
2:05:52
·
3 min
Barbara Manu, a mother of two disabled children, shares her family's struggles with homelessness, health issues, and navigating the shelter system in New York City. She describes how past housing conditions, including gas leaks, have affected her children's health and education, and details their experiences moving between shelters and different states in search of stable housing.
- Manu's family has been homeless since June 2018, with frequent moves between shelters and states.
- Her children have health issues, including mental health problems and type 2 diabetes, potentially linked to previous poor housing conditions.
- Despite having a Section 8 voucher, the family has faced numerous challenges in securing stable housing and accessing consistent education for the children.
Barbara Manu
2:05:52
I'm sorry.
2:05:55
My name is Barbara Menu, and I have 2 disabled children.
2:05:58
This is my 4th time.
2:06:00
Coming to city hall to for a hearing.
2:06:07
We've been homeless since June 2018.
2:06:10
I have a twenty six year old.
2:06:12
Mentally severe mental disease and also has type 2.
2:06:19
I also have my eighteen year old with me here back in 2017.
2:06:26
I know the first panel were talking about the heating hydrates.
2:06:33
My problem in my old apartment was from the water.
2:06:38
I have no idea my children were affected by late.
2:06:43
So right now, both of them have, you know, mental problems.
2:06:49
So we have section 8.
2:06:51
I want to I'm very overwhelmed of what I'm saying.
2:06:54
So just I apologize the way I was talking.
2:06:58
So back in 2017, the city told us to move out from the apartment because the landlord was not fixing the apartment.
2:07:06
Every time they come for inspection, I would just they will ask me to sign and they will come back later.
2:07:11
So this became 2017, it became very bad in the apartment.
2:07:18
I have no idea that gas was leaking.
2:07:21
So before my son was born, 20 6, he has been breathing gas.
2:07:26
And right now, he has breathing problems.
2:07:29
So 2017, we have to move out from the apartment and go to a shelter.
2:07:34
Ever since from there, the city took our originate away from us.
2:07:38
And gave it to my oldest son.
2:07:41
So we have become homeless again from 2018.
2:07:45
Currently, we are still homeless.
2:07:47
My son has not attended any has no education.
2:07:52
After at the age of thirteen, he has not gone to school for 5 years because I have to move them around from state to state, continent to continent.
2:08:01
Last year, I took the I took my children to my country.
2:08:05
For almost 2 years.
2:08:06
We came back, but the city is shelter, ref refuses shelter.
2:08:13
They deny us shelter.
2:08:14
So I moved them to Utah.
2:08:16
We couldn't get shelter in Utah, and then we went to Florida.
2:08:20
Saw the same we were we were sleeping in the park with the one with the type 2.
2:08:26
So we came back this year, February of this year.
2:08:29
The shelter that we are currently living out there is in Brooklyn, and this is the 4th shelter.
2:08:36
I was arrested also in the Ted shelter.
2:08:39
Why?
2:08:39
Because they said, I'm trespassing.
2:08:42
Every 2 weeks, every 2 weeks or 3 weeks, we have to be moved to another shelter.
2:08:47
So I'm pleading with you and also our section 8.
2:08:50
When we went to California to 6 shelter, I asked the city to move our section 8 to I'm sorry.
2:08:58
Section 8 to California, but it was never moved as soon as we moved from the the state.
2:09:04
I got a letter from the shelter stating that the secretary is terminated.
