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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Omarax Rosa, Director of Housing Justice at Harlem Community Justice Center
5:07:37
ยท
3 min
Omarax Rosa, Director of Housing Justice at the Harlem Community Justice Center, testified about the importance of housing justice in building safe and healthy communities. The Center operates two housing resource centers in Harlem and Red Hook, providing support to tenants and helping them navigate the court system.
- The Center saw a significant increase in client volume, with 3,151 client visits last year, including assistance with one-shot deals and HRA benefits.
- They've implemented a Virtual Court Access Network (VCAN) to help clients who have difficulty traveling to court, processing over 500 virtual court filings.
- Rosa emphasized the connection between housing justice, economic justice, and community safety, calling for a holistic approach to addressing community challenges.
Omarax Rosa
5:07:37
Good afternoon Chair, Gala, and esteemed members of the Committee on General Welfare.
5:07:42
My name is Omariks Rosa, I serve as a director of housing justice at the Harlem Community Justice Center, an initiative of the Center for Justice Innovation.
5:07:52
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
5:07:55
At the Center for Justice Innovation, we recognize the array of factors that contribute to community safety, from mental health issues, addiction, lack of economic opportunity, or more.
5:08:09
Our programs seek to address these issues.
5:08:12
Housing plays a critical role in this.
5:08:16
If we want to build safe, healthy communities and a fair, humane justice system, we need to fight for housing justice.
5:08:23
We thank this council for their partnership thus far and look forward to continue progress in the upcoming fiscal year.
5:08:31
The center operates two housing resource center, one in Harlem and the other one in Red Hook.
5:08:37
Our housing resource centers help tenants supporting them in documenting and tracking their repair needs, as well as assessing and navigating the court system when needed to hold NYSHA and other landlords accountable.
5:08:51
Over the past year, our client volume has increased significantly.
5:08:56
Even just being open three days a week last year, we had 3,151 client visits, including working with 181 households on one shot deals and many more on SNAP and other HRA benefit issues.
5:09:12
So many of the people we work with come in in wheelchairs or walkers and really cannot make the trip downtown to 111 Center Street.
5:09:20
We've actually done over 500 virtual court filings and answers through VCAN, our virtual court access network, in response to that need and have even been getting accommodations granted for virtual appearances in our space.
5:09:37
ACJC is slowly returning to the one stop shop it once was, and our great partner HIA would be a huge piece of the picture to restore it to that critical support.
5:09:52
They have historically been and continue to be a great partner that has helped with the goal of providing community members with safe, stable housing and eviction prevention.
5:10:04
One mission at the center that we have is to build community safety.
5:10:10
Partnerships with government and other community based organizations and community members is community safety.
5:10:16
Economic justice is community safety.
5:10:19
Housing justice is community safety.
5:10:22
We have to look at the challenges our communities face in a holistic way.
5:10:27
It is impossible to build safety or reduce the use of jail without housing justice.
5:10:33
We need to prioritize fundamental needs we cannot achieve, lock the ideals such as equity, freedom, healthy, resilient, and thriving communities.
5:10:42
Our justice system plays an important role in this, and it is the censors role to make sure that this system is accessible, equitable, and understandable.
5:10:51
We look forward to continuing to fight for housing justice in the upcoming fiscal year, and appreciate the council's partnership in this effort.
5:10:59
Thank you.