Mateo Guerrero: Policy demands for CityFHEPS and housing vouchers

And these are stories that are not unique for our communities.

We hear this very often in our Trans-Migrant Project.

We know that there is a housing crisis in New York City, but for trans and queer migrant New Yorkers, this is a crisis that is compounded by multiple systems of discrimination that include exposure to violence, instability, criminalization, and displacement.

And so the two asks that I want to make is, one, I want to ask the council to continue to put pressure on the Mamdani administration to end the lawsuit against the 2023-2020.

CityFAP's expansion.

That expansion is so important for our communities to be able to have access to these vouchers, to have access to this program, and also that is regardless of immigration status, which is so important for our trans and queer migrants.

And the second one is to increase funding through the budget process.

So at the state level, we passed the housing

access voucher program, but I also believe that it's the city duty to expand that program and to allocate budget for that program as well.

The 900 vouchers that were allocated in New York City are simply not enough when there are around 100,000 people who are facing homelessness and 3 million people who are rent burdened and are in danger of losing their home.

And this program is intended to support people who are on house as well as people who are at risk of losing their housing.

And lastly, I want to name that as Make the Road, we also deeply support all the budget demands of the New York City Trans and Queer Coalition.

$15 million for gender affirming care for youth, $10 million for trans equity initiative fund, $10 million for support persons involved in the sex trades, and $15 million for LGBTQ immigrant fund, because when we think about housing instability, it's also all these

other areas that provide support for our folks.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you folks for testifying.

We don't have any questions.

So this panel is now excused.

I will move to virtual testimony.

We have three, four.

We have four folks for virtual testimony.

I'm going to begin with Ateem Aton and Erica Lashbo.

Ateem, if you are available to unmute yourself, you may begin when ready.

You may begin.