Gothamist

“Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, deputy director of the Street Vendor Project [of the Urban Justice Center], which advocates for the interests of street vendors, said one reason may be that inspectors don’t have the authority to demand that vendors show them their identification, while police do.

Gotham Gazette

“In addition to removing protections for older adults, the information we've received indicates this is going to affect at least hundreds and probably thousands of people with a wide range of chronic health conditions,” said Helen Strom, director of benefits and homeless advocacy at the Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project."

Democracy Now!

"In response, [Freedom Agenda] community organizer and Rikers survivor Edwin Santana said in a statement, “This tragedy should show every judge, prosecutor, and elected official who has ignored this truth before — Rikers is a death sentence."

NEws 12: The Bronx

“The Street Vendor Project [of the Urban Justice Center], an advocacy group, says permits for mobile food vendors have remained capped for the past 40 years, which has made it virtually impossible to get.”

Gotham Gazette

"History shows that we cannot arrest and incarcerate our way to public safety. We can no longer tolerate a city budget that reflects this false notion. With the release of the mayor’s executive budget proposal, it is clear that we have work to do before this year’s budget deadline to move in the right direction." [Op-Ed by Darren Mack of Freedom Agenda and Rev. Wendy Brown]

NYC Gov

“‘For centuries, street vendors have been an essential part of the fabric of New York City. From the Bronx to Queens, street vendors ensure under-resourced communities have access to fresh, affordable food, commercial corridors have diversity of business, and tourists get the iconic New York City experience. And now, for the first time ever, street vendors are stakeholders in deciding the future of the industry,’ said Mohamed Attia, managing director, of Urban Justice Center’s Street Vendor Project."

Gothamist

"Craig Hughes, a social worker with the Safety Net Project of the Urban Justice Center, told Gothamist on Wednesday that Adams’ announcement seemed more in service of providing good press than substantive information."

Bloomberg

The solution: The U.S. must urgently reform its immigration system, so that quickly and efficiently providing refuge and work authorization to the most vulnerable migrants becomes the norm, not something special. [op-ed by DVP Supervising Immigration Attorney, Joy Ziegeweid]

City Limits

“In December of last year just 24 percent of households—637 of 2,623—who were approved by a landlord to rent a unit managed to move in, according to data obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request by the [Safety Net Project of the] Urban Justice Center."

AM NY

“A receiver may be able to cut through some of the dysfunction accumulated from decades of political cowardice, appeasement of COBA, and disregard for incarcerated people, but Rikers cannot be fixed,” said Darren Mack, Co-Director of Freedom Agenda [at UJC]. “It must be closed, and the Mayor should be taking every opportunity to expedite those plans.”