Resources
2023: Roadmap to Housing in New York State
February 1, 2023
After 30 years of rampant displacement, gentrification, and commodification of our state's communities, the housing and homelessness crisis has never been worse. Rents across our state are at an all-time...
2023 Roadmap to a Caring and Compassionate City: Ending Homelessness, the Drug War, the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, and Mass Incarceration in NYC
January 26, 2023
People living in New York City deserve to caring & compassionate local government. VOCAL-NY released the following platform of demands for the New York City Council to adopt and make...
2023-2024 New York State Legislative Platform
January 6, 2023
The disruption to the social fabric caused by COVID-19, exacerbated by a failed government response that left over 1 million people dead and a social service safety net in even...
2023-2024 New York State Budget Platform
January 6, 2023
The continued harm from criminalization, incarceration, and the legacy of former Governor Cuomo’s austerity have resulted in a historic number of New Yorkers dying from preventable overdoses, record high homelessness,...
NYC Jails Decarceration Demands
November 1, 2022
Every person remanded to Rikers Island faces the potential of a death sentence. This year has now surpassed 2021 in the number of deaths on Rikers Island – an alarming...
2022-2023 VOCAL-NY NYC BUDGET PLATFORM
June 7, 2022
VOCAL-NY is dedicated to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic, drug war, mass incarceration and homelessness across New York State. VOCAL-NY’s four different unions are releasing the following demands for the New...
Homelessness & Housing Roadmap for Mayor Adams NYC Housing Plan
April 12, 2022
On a given night, there are approximately 72,000 New Yorkers sleeping in NYC shelters and 2,300 sleeping on the streets. 2021 was the deadliest year on record for homeless New...
Safer Consumption Services Act: 230 Organizations, Service Providers, Families Impacted by the Overdose Crisis, and People Directly Impacted Urge Legislature to Pass Life-Saving Legislation
April 4, 2022
Honorable Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Honorable Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie NYS Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224 Re: Safer Consumption Services Act (S603/A224), Senator Rivera/Assembly Member L. Rosenthal Dear Senate...
Letter to State Leadership to Increase Investments in Proven Non-Police Response to Gun violence
March 30, 2022
The Honorable Kathy HochulGovernor of New York StateNYS State Capitol BuildingAlbany, NY 12224 Hon. Andrea Stewart-CousinsNew York State Senate Majority Leader188 State StreetLegislative Office Building, Room 907Albany, NY 12247 Hon....
VOCAL-NY 2021 Annual Report
March 9, 2022
In 2021, organizing won big for low-income New Yorkers. Through multiple moves, a global pandemic, and the worst rates of overdose ever recorded, our harm reduction services continued providing life-saving...