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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Edwin Santana, Community Organizer from Freedom Agenda
3:59:40
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Edwin Santana, a community organizer from Freedom Agenda and formerly incarcerated individual, testified in support of increased funding for the City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR). He emphasized the importance of implementing the Fair Chance for Housing law and the need for CCHR to have adequate resources for public education and outreach.
- Santana stressed the crucial role of stable housing, especially for formerly incarcerated individuals, and the importance of enforcing anti-discrimination laws.
- He called for CCHR's budget to be increased to at least $21 million and for the agency to be exempt from PEGs (Program to Eliminate the Gap).
- Santana argued that proper funding for CCHR is essential for protecting the rights of all New Yorkers, particularly given the lack of similar services at the federal level.
Edwin Santana
3:59:40
Hello.
3:59:42
Good day madam chairperson and, my name is Edwin Santana.
3:59:46
I am a community organizer for freedom agenda.
3:59:49
I am also a formerly incarcerated individual, but most of all I am a human being.
3:59:54
I'm also here to tell you that New Yorkers more than ever need our rights protected.
3:59:58
I'm speaking specifically on granting increased funding for the city commission on human rights.
4:00:03
I applaud the city council for stepping up and passing that fair chance for housing law last year but there is much work to be done.
4:00:11
Implementation is of this law requires CCHR to put in a lot of work and that work requires funding.
4:00:17
Fair chance for housing will only be effective if CCRHR can educate the public about it like you said earlier.
4:00:25
CC HR is charged with enforcing our human rights laws but also with preventing discrimination which means conducting education and outreach to inform people of their rights and responsibilities under our New York City human rights laws.
4:00:37
Unfortunately CC CCHR lacks resources to conduct this type of education and outreach.
4:00:44
As a community organizer for the past six years, I can honestly say that education about anything is very important.
4:00:51
In this world of confusion and misguidance, we need to educate New Yorkers on every aspect of fair chance for housing.
4:00:57
I cannot I cannot stress the importance of stable housing in this city.
4:01:01
You all know this and, as the chant goes, housing is a human right.
4:01:05
Unfortunately, those who are formerly incarcerated know that it is even harder to get your life together when you are being discriminated against.
4:01:13
Thanks to the CHR CCHR, we can now hold accountable those individuals who dare to discriminate.
4:01:19
However, CCHR is now conducting is not conducting any sort of public education campaign about the law because they they need to have more resources to do so.
4:01:29
The effectiveness in this law doesn't work unless everyone knows about it and that includes awareness for sellers and renters.
4:01:37
Housing, providers will ultimately violate this law and risk fines simply because they do not know about it.
4:01:44
CCHR is underfunded compared to similar agency in smaller cities.
4:01:48
This is true for years.
4:01:50
Budgets as we know are value statements.
4:01:53
We we truly value civil rights and human rights then the CCHR must have a budget at least $2,021,000,000 dollars as well as to be exempt from pegs because it provides essential services that are now completely lacking at the federal level.
4:02:09
By removing barriers to housing people are better able to support themselves and their family lowering recidivism and making our community safer.
4:02:18
Research shows that finding housing is a key to stop it stabilizing house lives and reducing recidivism.
4:02:24
Let's do the right thing here and give the CCHR the funding they crucially need to protect the rights of all New Yorkers.
4:02:30
Thank you for allowing me to testify today.