More on: "NYC Demands Rent from the Homeless"

Steven Banks of the Legal Aid Society... pointed out that families were given no explanation of how the rent was calculated...One mother of a teenage son reported that the authorities were demanding $1,099 a month in rent out of her $1,700 income as a security guard, which clearly exceeds even the extraordinary 50 percent cap.

The city is basing its punitive new policy on a 1997 New York state law that was not enforced until last week. Apparently a 2007 state audit forced the city to pay back $2.4 million in state housing aid because it had not collected rent money from the homeless. The change in policy stems from that action.

Robert V. Hess, the city’s commissioner of homeless services, said, “I think it’s hard to argue that families that can contribute to their shelter cost shouldn’t.” Bloomberg himself, the eighth richest man in the United States, with a fortune estimated at $8 billion and a five-story townhouse off Fifth Ave. on the Upper East Side as well as residences in Bermuda, London, Vail, Westchester County and Park Ave., told the media with a straight face, “Everybody else is doing it, and we’re told we have to do it, so we’re going to do it.”

The billionaire mayor, so willing to comply with this state-mandated attack on the poorest sections of the working class, showed no similar willingness to comply when the legislature recently considered raising taxes on the wealthiest sections of the population to help close the record budget deficit. “We love the rich people,” said Bloomberg, explaining that his fellow billionaires and multi-millionaires would pick up and leave the city if they were asked to pay anything more in taxes.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/may2009/nyc-m14.shtml

Cities are desperately doing whatever they can to make up for the budget shortages created by states making up for their budget shortages created when the Bush Administration chose to invade Iraq.

What a mess.

so the poor will be forced to pay. Those with the least will be forced to pay the most. :(

Those with the most will be asked nicely, tentatively, voluntarily to pay the least.

Someone tipped them off.

Gee, I wonder who it was ...

will drive people out of homeless shelters and onto the streets.

Then, because there are fewer people in the shelters they'll count that decline and announce that there are fewer homeless people. He'll take credit for that too.

This scumbag is push-polling people throughout NYC, calling everyone with a script about how he's creating jobs and saving the city, "so will you commit to vote to reelect Mayor Bloomberg?"

The sickest part is that people will reelect this scumbag because they like anyone who will drive the homeless out of the city. :(

But where can the homeless go? And how could they possibly get there? And what help could/would they know how to find when they get there?

I've been homeless. You're helpless and have no resources. And here is a billionaire and his administration doing everything they can to make like even worse for these people who have nothing, no help, and no place else to go. That's truly evil. x(

walking-around money.

8 billion = 8000 million.

2.4 mill = .03% of that.

It's like, if you were worth $50K & you gave a beggar $15.

Sick psychos running the country.

his reelection campaign.

But he won't help the poor. He's notoriously mean spirited towards the poor. Services for the homeless have suffered under his watch, and he clearly intends it that way. :(

Followed around & shamed & labeled as the murderers they are.

The rent money is going into their pockets, that's how they stay rich.

Here is the newest update with a link to the original thread near the bottom of the OP (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5651320&mesg_id=5651320 )

If it isn't enough of a shaming, what do you think can be done to make it so?

at bloomie & his minions.

they can't afford a damn apartment. it's a vicious cycle, because you need an address to get a job.... so if the city takes whatever money they have, they'll be living on the street forever. good one. that will help curb homelessnes. like people live in the streets for fun. because they like the open floor plan. this is just nuts!

They'll have to be relocated to poorer parts of town.

for quality of life violations. He'll put all the homeless people into jail. Nobody has to see them there. :(

Are rich people all white meat, all dark meat, or mixed, like chicken?

or bathroom.... or what.

for not providing them decent accommodations in which to live!

Maybe that would teach him!

Expecting the homeless to make up for the city debt. What is matter with people????