‘Sleep-Out’ to help homeless

With the city’s latest homeless statistics due out in the coming weeks – and with 335 individuals living on the streets of Queens as of 2005 – dozens of people staged a “sleep-out” last month to protest what they are claiming is the criminalization of these people.
“We’re doing this to bring awareness to the community,” said Dilo Cintron, 24, who participated in the National Day of Action demonstration.
Formerly homeless and currently living in supportive housing in Astoria, Cintron told The Queens Courier that he had been victimized in the past.
“I was asked to be removed from public spaces like Central Park,” he said.
Protest organizers from Picture the Homeless also say that the city is not providing adequate housing.
“The domestic abuse of one of my relatives made me personally aware of the fact that there is a shortage of resources in Queens,” said Jean Rice, leader of the Civil Rights Campaign and police negotiations with Picture the Homeless. “[The city] is using buildings and leaving us out on the streets. It’s not easy to be in a shelter.”
“While groups like Picture the Homeless may try to portray otherwise with staged sleep-outs, our relationship with the advocacy community is stronger than ever,” said Angela C. Allen, Deputy Press Secretary for the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). “[DHS has transitioned] from an agency narrowly focused on providing emergency shelter to one that focuses on prevention and re-housing efforts and helping at-risk families before they reach the shelter doors,” she said.
“We have been able to place more than 6,000 in permanent housing since December 2004,” said Allen.