Fewer vouchers will only increase housing needs<\/p>\n
Manhattan: The editorial supporting Mayor Mamdani\u2019s appeal of the CityFHEPS expansion (\u201cMamdani now gets it<\/a>,\u201d March 26) correctly notes that increasing the supply of affordable housing is essential. But New York City can not wait for future housing production to address the immediate loss of housing faced by low-income tenants in Housing Court or to move families out of homeless shelters and into stable homes. Proven programs like CityFHEPS exist precisely to bridge that gap, helping households stay housed and preventing avoidable homelessness.<\/p>\n While the precise parameters of the CityFHEPS expansion may be subject to negotiation, the urgency of the crisis is not. New Yorkers facing eviction today can not wait for the resolution of a lengthy appeals process. Every delay means more families losing their homes and more people entering a shelter system that is already strained and enormously expensive \u2014 precisely the kind of avoidable cost the city should be preventing as it confronts a mounting budget crisis.<\/p>\n The mayor campaigned on fully implementing the CityFHEPS reforms and expansion laws, recognizing how lifesaving these vouchers are. The longer this process drags on, the more low-income New Yorkers in desperate need of housing stability will see that promise pushed further out of reach. Adriene Holder, civil practice chief attorney, The Legal Aid Society<\/p>\n Beyond tragic<\/p>\n Rockaway Point: All politicians are talk, talk, talk and it\u2019s all B.S. A 7-month-old baby was killed by these punks (\u201cBaby in stroller slain<\/a>,\u201d April 2). Put them behind bars. That poor family. Enough is enough. Regina Mangan<\/p>\n Torture by proxy<\/p>\n Bronx: The unsettling March 31 story \u201cBeau charged in horrific killing of cat<\/a>\u201d serves as a harsh reminder that animal cruelty and intimate partner violence (IPV) are not isolated acts. Research demonstrates that one of the ways abusers control and punish the targets of their abuse is by harming or threatening to harm those individuals\u2019 companion animals. The results of Kitty\u2019s necropsy are horrific. This heinous incident appears to be a deliberate act intended to punish the victim by exploiting her love for her pet. If the defendant in this case is convicted, I believe even the maximum penalties aren\u2019t enough. While Buster\u2019s Law was a critical step in recognizing aggravated animal cruelty as a felony in New York, more must be done to support both human and animal survivors of IPV, including increasing access to pet-friendly domestic violence shelters, improving cross-reporting between agencies, and enacting stronger penalties for abusers. Chelsea Alexis Gomez<\/p>\n Severity disparity<\/p>\n Manhattan: Surprisingly, the case against Luigi Mangione is getting more ridiculous every day (\u201cFeds cut Luigi slack on timing<\/a>,\u201d April 2). What forces are at work in our justice system? Why is his \u201cstalking\u201d not considered premeditation, and why should it be dropped as an issue? I smell corruption. And the comment about his fans outside the jail, is that any evidence to mitigate the horror of the murder? This is the second recent case that defies sound judgment. Ryan Routh receives a life sentence<\/a> for attempted assassination while those convicted of murder are receiving much lighter sentences. I hope there\u2019s an investigative reporter who will pursue these flagrant miscarriages of justice. Jack Weiss<\/p>\n Too graphic<\/p>\n