Mutual Aid NYC Relaunching Newsletter!

Hi Everyone! We are relaunching and revamping the MANYC newsletter!

December 22nd, 2021

This is going to be a newsletter MANYC (Mutual Aid NYC) will send out regularly that gives you news on NYC’s recovery, ways you can get involved, local events, and resources. We wanna make this as informative, interesting, and helpful as possible so we would love feedback.

Call to action →Please fill out this form with any critiques, comments, suggestions or questions!

In this Newsletter: 

• A (very) quick recap of MANYC’s last year 

• City council passes extension of the statute of limitations for gender-related violence and proposes creating a reparations research board

• Homelessness in NYC has reached record highs and thoughtful reform is needed

• Get potential incentives for energy efficiency upgrades through NYSERDA

What has MANYC been up to?

It’s almost been two years since the pandemic began and since Mutual Aid NYC was formed. Though some of the city has recovered, many communities hit the hardest by the pandemic are still struggling. We are still active and will keep working to build support systems for people in the New York area during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. So far, we have:

• Begun Home is a Human Right, an online conversation series amplifying New Yorkers’ voices who are without a home or at risk of losing one

• Launched the resource library 2.0

• Created a Map of Mutual Aid Groups 

• Assisted via the MANYC hotline with new hours and more languages

Please visit our website to learn more about what MANYC has done and what we plan to do.

What’s new with the City Council?

Committee on Women and Gender Equity
Members: Darma Diaz, Laurie Cumbo, James Gennaro, Ben Kallos, Brad Lander, Farah Louis, Helen Rosenthal 

• Passed bill to extend the statute of limitations to two years for the gender-motivated violence act 

Committee on Civil and Human Rights
Members: Mathieu Eugene, Bill Perkins, Brad Lander, Daniel Dromm, Inez Barron

• Proposal to prohibit employers from posting job listings without minimum and maximum salary information

• Proposal to require movie theatres to provide movie screenings with open captioning

• Resolution proposal to establish a commission to study and develop reparation proposals to address the financial impacts of slavery and discrimination

Spotlight: Housing and Homelessness in NYC

In August 2021, there were 47,916 homeless people sleeping in the NYC municipal shelter system each night, more than doubling since 2000. For context, NYC’s population has only grown around 6% from 2000-2021. 

• This figure also does not include those in domestic violence shelters, on the streets, or living with friends/relatives, meaning it is likely a significant underestimate of the true homeless population.

Call to action → Want to learn more about the solution from the experts, those that are homeless? Visit and donate to Human.nyc, an organization which places those impacted by street homelessness at the front of policy reform.

The primary causes of homelessness, especially for families, is the lack of affordable housing. Immediate triggers include overcrowded housing, domestic violence, job loss, and unsafe housing conditions.

Call to action → email your federal representative to support The Ending Homelessness Act of 2021 to phase in universal rental assistance for all eligible households. Find them here.

HumanPlan.nyc outlines a platform to end street homelessness created by and supported by homeless New Yorkers. The four pillars of which are reimagining street homeless outreach, removing law enforcement from homeless outreach, adopting a true “housing first” model in supportive housing, and ensuring access to affordable housing for unsheltered homeless New Yorkers.

On the Upside!

• Gov. Hochul announced the start of construction on Dominic Hollow Apartments, an affordable and supportive housing development in Ballston.

• NY Senate Bill S3593A, currently in committee, would provide internet access to all individuals in temporary housing. 

Call to action → email your state senator to support this bill. Find them here

• NYC allows the nation’s first supervised consumption site for illicit substances

• Tiffany Cabán, a former public defender, was sworn into City Council on Dec. 1st. She has already co-sponsored 20 bills including those which ban solitary confinement, prioritize non-profit buyers for affordable housing development, and extend paid sick leave to gig workers. 

Resource of the Week: Subsidized Energy Improvements through NYSERDA

NYSERDA’s family renter or owner program provides incentives to low-income households making energy efficiency improvements.

• EmPower NY is for households with an annual income less than 60% of state median income and provides no-cost energy efficiency upgrades

• Assisted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR is for households with an annual income up to 80% of state or area median income, whichever is higher, providing discounts of up to 50% for energy efficiency improvements. 

Apply here for EmPower and here for Assisted Home Performance

MANYC Self Promo

Request Help by:

• Going to the I Need Help page

• Searching for a local group

• Searching for a resource

• Calling the hotline at: 646-437-8080

Help by:

• Submitting a resource

• Getting involved

• Donating to Home is a Human Right

• Donating to a local mutual aid group