Action Alert: Ask your senators to help domestic violence victims by extending length of stay in shelters

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE CALLS AND SIGN PETITION!!  PLEASE DO THIS BY FRIDAY!  Try to get your friends and co-workers to make the calls.  We need numerous calls per location. 

We must continue the fight to extend the length of stay in domestic violence shelters to 180 days.  This legislation has already passed in the Assembly.  Now it needs to pass in the Senate.  We are urging you to call (and ask all of your friends/co-workers to call) the Senators below and sign the petition below.  PLEASE HELP!!

PHONE CALLS

Senator Patrick Gallivan – Chair of the Social Services Committee (518-455-3471)

Senator Daniel Squadron – Ranking Member of the Social Services Committee (518-455-2625 or 212-298-5565)

Senator Dean Skelos – Majority Leader (518-455-3171)

Sample script:  "I am calling to urge Senator ___, to vote S.973 out of Committee.  This important piece of legislation will save victims' lives by allowing them to stay in emergency domestic violence shelter for 180 days.  This additional time will mean better housing outcomes, increased safety, and self-sufficiency.  This legislation is cost neutral."

PETITION

To sign the petition, click here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/help-domestic-violence-victims-stay-safe-in-new-york-city?share_id=JdkBknndSL&pe=d2e

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!

Action Alert: Don't Let Guns into the Hands of Abusers

From NOW-NYC:

Don't Let Guns into the Hands of Abusers  
Anti-Violence Bill A.698B/S.4244A

Guns are the #1 weapon used in DV murders. It's already federal law that domestic abusers cannot buy guns, but some abusers in NYS are falling through the cracks. We need to fix our state's reporting requirements to the FBI to make sure guns are kept out of the hands ofall convicted batterers. Your Assemblymember needs to hear from you!

This act will align our state's reporting with the FBI, so that the federal law keeping guns out of the hands of abusers can be enforced. Convicted domestic violence abusers attempting to buy a gun will be flagged in the required background check and their application will be denied. Read more. 

Call Today!  

This bill's fate will be decided within the next few days.
Call: Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (518) 455-3791

Codes Committee Chair/Assemblyman Joseph Lentol (518) 455-4477
Do you have 5 extra minutes? Then also call your Assemblymemberand push for him/her to pass this critical bill.

What you can say:   Hi, I'm [name] from [neighborhood & borough]. I'd like to urge you to support the passage of Assembly bill 698, which will prevent convicted batterers from buying guns. Please pass this bill - which could literally save lives.

If you have more time to devote to this issue and want to get involved with our phone lobbying, please call (212) 627-9895. 

Activism Works! TANF Funding Restored: Call Gov Cuomo to Restore the Work Advantage Program, Also

Thanks to every one of you who called, visited your New York State Senator and Assembly member,  and took other actions to restore the TANF Funding to help Domestic Violence victims and others.  Although Governor Cuomo's budget proposed complete elimination of this program, your activism resulted in the New York State Senate and Assembly restoring the funding.  


However, the battle is not over.  Even though New York City is agreeing to back efforts to restore the Work Advantage Program (WAP), which helps Domestic Violence Victims obtain housing after leaving shelters, Governor Cuomo is still reluctant to restore funding. Please call his office at (518) 474-8390 and ask for restoration of funding for WAP.  Right now, calling him rather than other legislators is the best tactic.


Here are some talking points:

• We need the State to fund Advantage for existing tenants to avoid mass evictions and homelessness 
• We need the State to fund some form of Advantage for current shelter residents to provide a realistic re-housing option – an improved Advantage would include flexibility on time limits, and meaningful access to services and education among other reforms.  What we need is for folks in the City and State to come together to discuss the options and broker a compromise.  
• We agree that the City should utilize federal resources for the homeless and make reforms to Advantage to make it work better and are asking them to do so 
• Encourage support for a tax surcharge with an extra 1% for individuals making over $200,000 or families making over $300,000 with a bump to 2% for incomes over $500,000  

Overall message:  
Effective, stable permanent housing programs are more cost effective than prolonged shelter stays.  Eliminating funding for Advantage would have terrible consequences for tenants and landlords destabilizing communities and families.  It would cost enormous sums in shelter expenses, eviction costs, loss of rental income for landlords and more importantly would devastate families, creating long-term negative impact and cost.  


Please distribute widely.


Thank you!


Sincerely,
N. Jerin Arifa
Project Speak Out Manager
New York Asian Women's Center (NYAWC)