PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jenny Spector, Immigration Advocate
5:29:07
·
166 sec
Jenny Spector, an immigration advocate and mutual aid organizer, testified against the 60-day shelter stay limit rule and called for its immediate end. She emphasized the need to end the state of emergency, which she believes was unnecessarily declared by the mayor.
- Advocated for permanent housing solutions and expansion of city vouchers
- Highlighted the lack of adequate case management and information provision in shelters
- Urged the passage of Intro 210, along with Intros 942 and 943, to improve shelter conditions and rights
Jenny Spector
5:29:07
Hi, everybody.
5:29:08
Thank you very much to chair, Alvarez and to chair Ayala for holding this, hearing.
5:29:16
My name is Jenny Spector.
5:29:17
I am a immigration advocate, mutual aid, organizer, and, caring citizen.
5:29:28
I wanted I mean, it's been very clear from all of the testimony that you've heard from impacted people that this rule is just meant as a deterrent and to create chaos for for migrants.
5:29:45
And what needs to happen first, you need to end this rule, but we also need to end the state of emergency, which created the reason for the rule to be put in place.
5:29:57
So that pressure needs to be put on the mayor to end the state of emergency.
5:30:02
We are not in a state of emergency and we never work.
5:30:06
He he had, you know, created a crisis where there wasn't one.
5:30:10
We've had this number of of migrants and immigrants come to New York City for years and and it's, been dealt with in a very different way.
5:30:20
I also want to advocate for, as others have have said, for permanent housing for the expansion of city vouchers, which I know that you're in in favor of.
5:30:33
Also, as other people have said, increased case management.
5:30:37
The it's it's just sorely sorely lacking.
5:30:41
I I write we have, WhatsApp groups for I I focus on the Hall Street Shelters in Clinton Hill.
5:30:48
We have WhatsApp groups for all of the free shelters there.
5:30:52
And they are you know, there is so much information and education that's required that they are not getting from anywhere.
5:30:59
Not getting from any, you know, any city agency, not from the case managers there in the shelter.
5:31:08
I spend hours a day responding to messages and and providing
Gale A. Brewer
5:31:12
Thank you.
5:31:12
Your time expired.
Jenny Spector
5:31:15
And I just want to also advocate that this that the, bill 210 should be passed, but also it needs to be part of a package of bills with intro 942, which would be minimum standards for emergency shelter, and intro 943 which would be a notification that you have a right to shelter in a DS at DSS shelter when there are vacancies which is not not happening now.
5:31:42
And we we can do so much better, and I and I know that you know that.
5:31:46
And happy to, to continue to work with you and and your committee, on this.
5:31:53
Thank
