On Thursday, 21 May, at 2:00 p.m., Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL-NY) will be joined by members of the City Council who have pledged to advance a call for a new vision and drastic realignment in City budget priorities.

 

VOCAL-NY are calling for the creation of a housing, public health and social services workforce. The group also wants to see a collaborative effort by the Department of Social Services, Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, and Housing Preservation and Development, to tackle issues of incarceration, homelessness, overdose, substance use and mental health.

 

VOCAL-NY is a statewide grassroots membership organization that builds power among low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, the drug war, mass incarceration, and homelessness in order to create healthy and just communities. The group accomplishes this through community organizing, leadership development, public education, direct services, participatory research and direct action.

 

The group wants the City to explicitly fight for cuts to the NYPD budget, this year, in order to protect crucial social services and begin the process of realignment towards public health and justice for all New Yorkers.

 

Members of the public can join the video webinar by clicking on the following link: https://vocalny.zoom.us/j/86319418063 and use the following information to access the press conference via phone only: (646) 558-8656 Webinar ID: 863 1941 8063

 

The group are calling for two priorities:

1. No cuts to crucial social services
2. Reducing the NYPD budget to reinvest the money in housing, public health and social services.