Get people homes and support to keep them there
Manhattan: Re “Upping housing ante” (Feb. 22): When my children and I were escaping from an abusive relationship, my housing voucher was essential to finding our new home, so I’m incredibly heartened to see the City Council fighting to expand CityFHEPS and give more New Yorkers access to this life-changing resource.
But I also know that expanding access to vouchers alone won’t be enough to help the thousands of New Yorkers living in shelters or in unsafe or unstable situations. Our city needs a plan to help homeless families find apartments they can afford.
I was lucky — the voucher I received through the federal Emergency Housing Voucher program came paired with a specialized housing navigator who worked tirelessly to help my family secure an apartment in a good neighborhood. Because we had access to these services provided by New Destiny, we could move into our permanent home within months of receiving our voucher, while many other families must stay in shelters for years before they can finally use their rental subsidy. New Destiny also made available aftercare services once we moved in. Everyone dealing with housing insecurity deserves this level of support.
Stable housing allowed my kids and I to heal from years of anxiety and trauma and begin to rebuild our lives. When the City Council prevails in their lawsuit and expands CityFHEPS, it’s essential that they pair it with housing navigation and aftercare so that every New Yorker facing housing instability has access to the same resources that I was fortunate enough to receive. Daniris Espinal
Service downgrade
Bay Shore, L.I.: Optimum cable urges customers to switch to WiFi at no charge. Nothing but problems! Service interruptions, phone calls to service representatives (here in the U.S.?), a home visit by a technician. At $250 a month, I expect the same reception as the old boxes! An email I received asking for comment on service — I can’t access! John T. O’Connell
Simple pleasures
Brooklyn: To Voicer Mary Caggiano: Why ketchup, mustard, syrup and cream cheese? Because they taste good. Mariann Tepedino
Good deed
Brooklyn: Last week, Staten Island Police Chief Joseph Gulotta and the NYPD K-9 unit made life a little happier for Julian Galloway, an 8-year-old cancer patient from Texas. Julian’s dad is a detective in Texas. Julian was sworn in as an honorary NYPD detective by Police Commissioner Edward Caban. That’s first-grade work by the Finest. Louie Scarcella
Lamentable legacy
Chicago: If wish fulfillment was the only criteria used to critique the career of Mitch McConnell, his special place in history would be assured. As the leading Republican in the Senate, his primary goal was stacking the federal courts with conservative judges, regardless of their qualifications. To his credit, he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, as evidenced by the current Supreme Court’s three justices who he personally championed. Ironically, his greatest speech on the Senate floor occurred immediately after the Jan. 6 uprising, when he pointed his gnarly finger at Trump as the instigator of the failed coup. Unfortunately, that was too little, too late — much like his resignation as minority leader. No doubt McConnell will be long remembered for his loyalty to the Republican Party as well as his blind ambition. But his legacy could’ve been so much more considering his unique talent for getting things done. Bob Ory
No match
Clearwater, Fla.: As expected, Michigan was another landslide victory for former President Donald Trump. How in the world does Nikki Haley expect to win the general election when she can’t even get a meager 30% of the vote? Compared to Trump, Haley is nothing but an amateur. It’s back to the peanut gallery for her. Bye-bye! JoAnn Lee Frank
Autocratic trend-encies
Dallas: Viktor Orbán, prime minister of of Hungary since 2010, has promoted what he calls “illiberal democracy” but has been criticized by international observers, including the U.S. State Department, for leading an increasingly autocratic system there, rolling back minority rights, seizing control of the judiciary and media and manipulating the country’s election system to remain in power. He will visit ex-President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago this week. With Benjamin Netanyahu increasingly approaching an autocratic system in Israel, including attempts similar to Orbán’s, it looks like a gathering of the world’s autocrats is slowly taking shape. With actor Mahershala Ali referring to a secret ruling world cabal in executive producers Barack and Michelle Obama’s No. 1 streaming movie “Leave the World Behind,” one could postulate that Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin are not far behind lining up at the box office. Leo M. Crowley
Needed awareness
Manhattan: Re “NYC’s pound has gone to the dogs” (op-ed, Feb. 26): Thank you for publishing this piece. It is shocking that NYC hasn’t created more educational awareness around spaying/neutering pets in the 14 years I’ve lived here. Closing the doors on shelters is the short-term fix — and I hope our elected officials will recognize the need for better long-term strategies. Leslie Woodruff
‘In whole or in part’
Jacksonville, Fla.: To Voicer Betty Ussach: You wrote that the Israeli attacks don’t “qualify in the public mind as genocidal.” Do you possess a dictionary? Here is the definition of genocide: “The deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.” So, you’re right, Ms. Ussach, thousands aren’t being “shot and shoveled into mass graves.” Gazans are being bombed indiscriminately in their homes and streets! Bombs weighing a ton, plus bullets. Families are forced to put their slaughtered family members, including thousands of children, into makeshift graves in the streets! So don’t try to tell us this is not genocide or not comparable to Nazi Germany in WWII. It’s the same, if not worse! Carl J. Cruz-Hafner
Curious kids
Queens Village: So, embryos are children now? It should be an interesting Easter when these little buggers go on an egg hunt. And don’t get me started with what Halloween is going to look like! Lawrence Krasner
Full rights
Bayside: Frozen embryos should be given Social Security numbers so they can apply for disability benefits. After all, isn’t being frozen a qualifying condition? John J. Usuriello
Too late
Valhalla, N.Y.: Isn’t it amazing that after three years, President Biden and the Demo-critics finally see the need for border security? Three years of ignoring the people, but now that the election is on the horizon they’re starting to act. They’re also blaming the Republicans for holding up their proposed plan, which basically doesn’t slow down or control the border. Five-thousand immigrants a day times 365 days equals 1.8 million a year! Is this really a form of control? The plans of control were in place, but as soon as Biden took over they were all ignored! Too late, Biden! Michael Grisanti
Pre-Biden
East Meadow, L.I.: The murder of Augusta University College of Nursing student Laken Riley by Jose Antonio Ibarra is a horrible tragedy. Unfortunately, the MAGA crowd is politicizing her death by blaming President Biden since Ibarra is a migrant from Venezuela. But if they want to point fingers at anyone, it should be former President Donald Trump. Just before leaving office, Trump authorized deferred departure and offered temporary legal status to Venezuelans, making coming to America enticing to those fleeing the Maduro regime. Maybe if Trump hadn’t done that, Ibarra wouldn’t have entered the country. Richard Skibins
Legal loophole?
Hoboken: To Voicer Regina Mangan: You would sue Biden for the one person killed by a migrant, but you won’t sue the Republicans and the NRA for all of the mass killings committed by orange blob-loving American citizens. Amazing. Joe Ewansky
