District Council 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts calls on Governor to sign Shelter Allowance Bill

(Ms. Roberts (center) joined the City Council Chair of the Committee on Public Housing, Councilmember Rosie Mendez (D-Lower Eastide), 2nd to the right of Roberts, Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-East Harlem), to the right of Roberts, and public housing activists at a news conference in Harlem on Thursday, July 26 to call on Governor Spitzer to sign the Shelter Allowance bill that increases the New York City Housing Authority's reimbursement rates for sheltering families on public assistance to match private property owners' reimbursement rates.

NY State reimburses NYCHA $168 per for a family of four while private property owner are reimbursed at close to $450 per month.

DC 37 is the city's largest public employee union with 121,000 members and 50,000 retirees.