Save New Yorkers from eviction this holiday season

Thanksgiving. There are few words, and fewer days, that bring to mind the warmth, love and safety of home. It is a time of gratitude for the roof over our head and the memories that make a house a home. 

This year there are over 500,000 New Yorkers who are at risk of losing their home and being evicted due to their accumulated rent arrears, many of whom will lose their home before Thanksgiving.

The majority of them are women and children of color. 

If evicted, they will face disruptions that are intergenerational. When a family loses their home, their stresses add to work and school schedules. Many children in these families can be placed in shelters far away from their home neighborhoods, preventing easy access to their school and friends. Less than half of children who go into shelters graduate high school, which puts them on the track to experience some form of poverty as adults, perhaps resulting in them finding themselves at risk for homelessness.

However, the current $4,000 average in rent arrears of New Yorkers facing eviction makes up less than 4% of the $100,000 it costs to provide shelter in New York for 1.5 years.

Rental assistance through our SAVE HOMES FUND is, by far, a more cost-effective solution to support New Yorkers facing homelessness. That is why The Partnership To End Homelessness’ mission is to end homelessness by preventing it. On average, keeping one household safe from eviction translates to $13.50 per day.

Our goal is to raise $12 million over the next three years to save the homes of 6,000 New Yorkers, and we are off to a successful start! Through the generosity of our donors, and partnerships, like the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, we have already reached $2 million, assisting hundreds of New Yorkers.

We invite you to give to our SAVE HOMES FUND today and give New Yorkers the gift of being in their homes for the holidays.

Photo Credit: Lorenzo Donvito