Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Daniel Alvarez, Youth Advocate from Youth Represent
4:56:13
ยท
114 sec
Daniel Alvarez, a 20-year-old Black trans youth advocate from Youth Represent, shares his personal experience with homelessness and calls for increased funding and support for homeless youth in New York City. He highlights the challenges faced by young people in the shelter system and proposes several areas where the city budget should allocate more resources.
- Alvarez emphasizes the need for better medical care, mental health services, nutritious meals, and hygiene products in youth shelters.
- He advocates for more spaces for LGBTQ youth, job readiness programs, and properly trained staff to care for homeless youth.
- Alvarez also mentions his support for the Youth Justice and Opportunities Act and the Right to Remain Silent Act.
Daniel Alvarez
4:56:13
Good afternoon council.
4:56:14
My name is Daniel Alvarez.
4:56:16
I'm a black trans twenty year old youth advocate at Youth Represent.
4:56:19
I've come to share my personal experience that I'm still going through in the homeless youth community as well as speak about the lack of funding in the city budget for homeless youth.
4:56:27
I've been in the shelter system for two years and some of the consistent rising problems as housing or not having enough help in a system that could provide much more with support and resources to the youth living in it.
4:56:38
Throughout the time I've been in the shelter system, I've seen a lot of young people not be able to receive proper assistance for medical care.
4:56:44
I've seen young people that don't get proper wholesome meals including myself because there's not enough money given from the city to do more than stretch out cans of spaghetti and meatballs or ramen.
4:56:53
Unfortunately, a lot of young people don't receive public assistance, and it's like a never ending roller coaster with the improper care from people that work in the facilities where the youth get placed into.
4:57:02
There's a few things I think the city's budget should go to, and it's all to help the youth that are living in these environments.
4:57:08
Oftentimes, are overlooked and it's time someone speaks up.
4:57:11
We need mental health care.
4:57:13
We need more spaces for queer youth like the Aliforny Center.
4:57:17
We need better food options and three film rolls a day.
4:57:20
We need good hygiene products.
4:57:22
We need job readiness programs.
4:57:24
We need programs where youth can explore outlets and network on various career paths.
4:57:28
We need places that offer free clothes for those who don't have any.
4:57:31
We need people to come into these environments that work here to be properly trained in caring and providing for youth with resources.
4:57:39
Lastly, we need a city who cares, not just about crime, but also about the youth, as it is a known fact that the NYPD gets more money funded towards their budget than the youth who are incarcerated, homeless, and of the LGBTQ community.
4:57:51
This year, I'm looking forward to continuing to advocate for the Youth Justice and Opportunities Act and the Right to Remain Silent Act.
4:57:58
As I close this out, I'd like to give a shout out to programs like Youth Represent, Exalt, and Freedom Agenda for giving me the space to become a youth advocate and express myself freely.
4:58:07
Thank you.