Catholic Charities Expresses Support for Family Focus of Mayor Adams' 'State of the City' Address
By: Steven Schwankert
“Putting families at the center is fully in alignment with our Catholic values,” said Catholic Charities of New York Executive Director Monsignor Kevin Sullivan
New York City Mayor Eric Adams emphasized the importance of protecting families and making the city the best place to raise one, he said in his fourth “State of the City” speech, given at the Apollo Theater in Harlem on January 9.
“Today, I want to talk about how we can make New York City the best place to raise a family, the safest place to raise a family, the most affordable place to raise a family, the most welcoming place to raise a family,” he said.
The mayor singled out families facing homelessness and pregnant mothers in city shelters as areas targeted by a proposed $650 million initiative to address the unsheltered in New York City.
“That’s right, $650 million to tackle street homelessness in New York City. And answer three crucial questions. How can we help people on our subways? How can we help people with serious mental illness? And how can we keep families out of shelters?”
New affordable housing and an expansion of shelter beds are among the solutions in the proposed plan.
This part of Mayor Adams’ speech was met with support from Catholic Charities of New York Executive Director Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, whose organization already addresses aspects of the difficulties that many New Yorkers face.
“Mayor Adams proposed several new initiatives within the overarching framework of making New York City more ‘family-friendly.’ Recognizing families as an important linchpin of a healthy and thriving New York was very welcome. So many of our hardworking families are balancing more than one job, caring for their children, and sometimes also aging parents,” Monsignor Sullivan told The Good Newsroom by email.
Catholic Charities provides numerous forms of assistance throughout the Archdiocese of New York, including food pantries and distribution, affordable housing, and support for immigrants and refugees.
“Whatever policies and programs can assist families to make living in New York more affordable and less burdensome should be strongly supported. Putting families at the center is fully in alignment with our Catholic values,” he said.