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City Funding Refusal Threatens Welfare of Thousands of Homeless LGBT Youth


The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) has failed to consider $253,718 in funding for Sylvia’s Place, a project of MCCNY Homeless Youth Services, thus jeopardizing the welfare of over 1,000 homeless and runaway LGBT youth in the coming year who would rely on Sylvia’s Place services.

The refusal follows DYCD claims that all Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Drop-In Center proposals in Manhattan had been eliminated from consideration for funding in fiscal year 2010.

MCCNY Homeless Youth Services operates Sylvia’s Place, which currently provides 1/3 of the city’s existing beds for LGBT homeless and runaway youth, who face harassment, violence and discrimination at mainstream shelters. Without DYCD funding, the LGBT youth waiting on longer-term housing at the Ali Forney Center and Green Chimneys—a process which can take up to five months--will be forced back to the streets.

“Losing contact with at-risk youth will mean that we will be unable to locate them when their names come up on months-long waiting lists,” said MCCNY Homeless Youth Services Director Lucky S. Michaels. “We will also be unable to ensure that the youth receive the services—food, medical care, and shelter—they need, and the assistance they require to avoid future interactions with law enforcement.”

Of the nearly 3.800 youth who are homeless in New York City every night, over 1080 identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a 2007 study by the Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services. Sylvia’s Place currently houses 26 of the only 75 beds for LGBT homeless youth in the city.


“Without DYCD funding for drop-in centers in Manhattan, all Sylvia’s Place’s programs are at great risk of closing, reducing the LGBT bed per client ration to well below 2007 levels.,” said the Reverend Pat Bumgardner, Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of New York.

In 2008, Ali Forney Center, which provides drop-in services to LGBT youth from its facilities in Chelsea, was subject to a similar funding refusal by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The recurrence of these city funding refusals to LGBT-specific social service organizations brings into question not only the welfare of the City’s LGBT community but also the willingness of city agencies to protect LGBT New Yorkers.


TAKE ACTION NOW: Tell the DYCD and City Council that the future of LGBT Homeless youth matters! Forward this message to press and network contacts to help us save them

“Without DYCD funding for drop-in centers in Manhattan, all Sylvia’s Place’s programs are at great risk of closing, reducing the LGBT bed per client ration to well below 2007 levels.,” said the Reverend Pat Bumgardner, Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of New York.

In 2008, Ali Forney Center, which provides drop-in services to LGBT youth from its facilities in Chelsea, was subject to a similar funding refusal by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The recurrence of these city funding refusals to LGBT-specific social service organizations brings into question not only the welfare of the City’s LGBT community but also the willingness of city agencies to protect LGBT New Yorkers.


TAKE ACTION NOW: Tell the DYCD and City Council that the futures of LGBT homeless youth matter! Forward this message to your press and network contacts and get the word out that LGBT youth are at risk of losing vital services!

E-mail your letter (see example below) to:

Daniel Symon, DYCD Chief Contracting Officer
dsymon@dycd.nyc.gov

Jeanne B. Mullgrav, Commissioner DYCD
jmullgrav@dycd.nyc.gov

Mayor Bloomberg


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Dear [Mr. Symon, Ms. Mullgrav, Mayor Bloomberg]:

We are requesting that you reconsider your funding refusal to MCCNY Homeless Youth Services, which relies on funding from the Department of Youth and Community Development to operate Sylvia’s Place. By neglecting to fund their program, you threaten a breakdown in the runaway and homeless youth (RHY) system in New York City. Sylvia’s Place serves as the first stop and often the last for homeless LGBT youth waiting on beds in other city funded programs.

Sylvia’s Place has been central to the effort to provide LGBT-specific services. Sylvia’s Place representatives serve on the national LGBTQ Advisory Council, and work with a number of leaders to develop international support to homeless LGBT individuals. DYCD’s decision will have lasting effects upon the LGBT RHY population nationwide.

Organizations nationally and internationally have looked to MCCNY Homeless Youth Services for advise on best practices and how to start up similar crisis facilities worldwide. To date MCCNY has worked with or are working with programs in Arizona, Gaudelejara, Jamaica, Pakistan, and Kuala Lumur and are focusing their work on providing health and human services in New York City while setting the example to communities elsewhere.

A recent pattern of New York City budget cuts has affected already-underserved LGBT communities: a disturbing trend that may be duplicated on the national level. Attempting to cut Ali Forney Day Center’s money entirely, cutting Green Chimney’s funds by 2/3 and refusing to fund MCCNY Homeless Youth Services while funding other RHY programs leaves us wondering where the priorities are for a youth population, 35-40% of which identifies as LGBT.

We ask, for the sake of LGBT runaway and homeless youth, that you call for the awarding of desperately-needed funds to MCCNY Homeless Youth Services, and continue the fight to protect all runaway and homeless youth.

Sincerely,

[name]