#WIFI4HOMELESS: A MOVEMENT TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AUGUST 2021 - Ensuring Internet Access for New Yorkers Experiencing Homelessness - City Bar ...
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#WIFI4HOMELESS: A MOVEMENT TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE Ensuring Internet Access for New Yorkers Experiencing Homelessness AUGUST 2021 www.nycbar.org | www.citybarjusticecenter.org
#Wifi4Homeless: A Movement to Close the Digital Divide AUGUST 2021
INTRODUCTION LAUNCHING THE
#WIFI4HOMELESS
In May 2020, the City Bar Justice
Center’s Legal Clinic for the Homeless ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN
released a report, Homeless Need
While issued during the early months of
Internet Access to Find a Home,
the pandemic, much of the findings of
documenting the impact of New York
the report were based on pre-pandemic
City’s stark digital divide on families in
conditions. The outbreak of COVID-19
homeless shelters. The report found that
and subsequent lockdown worsened
only 6% of those surveyed were able to
deep-rooted inequities that exist for
access the internet through their
New Yorkers who experience food,
homeless shelter, 67% wanted but had
housing, and economic insecurity, and
no regular access to Wi-Fi, and 75%
lack access to basics like reliable
agreed that internet access would help
internet. Critical services and resources
improve their living circumstances.
typically accessed in person by
Further, survey respondents noted that if
individuals and families residing in
they had access to the internet while in
homeless shelters moved online
the homeless shelter, they would use the
exclusively during the COVID-19 crisis,
internet for the following purposes:
leaving those who lacked access to
finding permanent housing, finding a job,
reliable Wi-Fi and internet-ready devices
accessing other benefits such as
effectively cut off.
unemployment, Supplemental Security
Income (SSI), food stamps, seeking
Following its issuance, the report and its
medical care, doing schoolwork, and
recommendations were endorsed by
basic communications such as accessing
over 30 organizations, and prompted the
email and social networking. The report
New York City Bar Association (City
shed light on the devastating
Bar), led by its Social Welfare Law
consequences of lack of access to
Committee and Education and the Law
essential technology for families and
Committee, to become engaged in
individuals in homeless shelters – an
advocacy around the issue of technology
issue that raised serious concerns when
access in homeless shelters.
COVID-19 swept through New York City.
PAGE 1#Wifi4Homeless: A Movement to Close the Digital Divide AUGUST 2021
In August 2020, the City Bar’s President, in every shelter: (1) reliable Wi-Fi
Sheila S. Boston, sent a letter to the de connections, (2) updated internet-ready
Blasio Administration urging it to computers, tablets or other devices, and
prioritize New York City Department of (3) wireless or Bluetooth printers, or
Social Services (DSS)-funded properties printers that maintain connections with
(including all properties and temporary the homeless shelter’s computers,
housing facilities, including hotels, that tablets or other word processing devices.
are maintained by DSS and its two The campaign aims to achieve those
administrative units, the Human goals by (1) providing members of the
Resources Administration (HRA) and public, related stakeholders and elected
Department of Homeless Services (DHS)) officials with necessary educational
as part of its citywide “Internet Master resources, (2) leading a robust social
Plan.” At the time, the Plan - which media campaign to raise awareness on
aimed to increase the availability of the issue, and (3) conducting direct
Internet throughout the five boroughs - advocacy. This is all done in
was not directed toward people collaboration with partner organizations
experiencing homelessness, and did not also working on this issue.
include a single reference to DSS
shelters or the unique access needs of As part of the campaign’s direct
the City’s shelter residents. advocacy, the City Bar’s Social Welfare
Law Committee and Education and the
In an effort to amplify the issues Law Committee provided testimony in
outlined in the letter and the May 2020 October 2020 at a New York City
report, the City Bar and City Bar Justice Council hearing regarding “Broadband
Center (CBJC) launched the and the Digital Divide.” The testimony
#Wifi4Homeless advocacy campaign, highlighted the impact of the digital
which is currently ongoing. The divide on New York City's homeless
campaign seeks to raise awareness about population and urged the City Council to
how lack of access to essential help address this issue by working with
technology is disproportionately the Mayor’s Office and all related
impacting individuals and families agencies to ensure that City-funded
residing in homeless shelters. Further, homeless shelters are prioritized in any
the advocacy campaign calls for the City plans to expand broadband and internet
to provide access to the following access.
PAGE 2#Wifi4Homeless: A Movement to Close the Digital Divide AUGUST 2021
MAKING AN IMPACT shelters participating in remote learning.
The letter also highlighted the need for
IN NEW YORK CITY Wi-Fi in all shelters, which would enable
residents to engage in GED, vocational,
AND BEYOND and college course work.
Following the hearing and months of
While the City Bar continued to
work through the #Wifi4Homeless
advocate for internet access in all City-
campaign, the Mayor’s Office
funded shelters and hotels, the Legal Aid
announced it would be providing Wi-Fi
Society and Milbank LLP filed a class
access in family and domestic violence
action lawsuit on behalf of the Coalition
shelters to help ameliorate connectivity
for the Homeless and individual shelter
issues that impacted remote learning for
residents to compel the City to speed up
school-aged children. While a good first
its installation of Wi-Fi in shelters where
step, the plan did not include the
school-age children reside to enable
installation of Wi-Fi in adult shelters,
them to attend school remotely. By April
youth shelters or other temporary
2021, the City had installed wireless
housing facilities (such as hotels). As
internet in 75% of these shelters and
further details emerged about the plan,
reached a settlement that required the
it also became clear that the timeline for
City to ensure installation in more than
the project was unacceptable, leaving
200 homeless shelters and domestic
many shelters without Wi-Fi through
violence shelters by the end of the
the remainder of the school year.
summer and also provide interim
solutions for students waiting for Wi-Fi
In response, City Bar President Sheila
installation.
Boston joined with New York City
Council Member Mark Treyger (Chair of
In recent months, the #Wifi4Homeless
the Council’s Education Committee), to
campaign has expanded the scope of its
pen a January 2021 letter to then-City
efforts beyond New York City. The City
Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza
Bar supports a bill introduced in the New
urging further action to address the lack
York State Legislature by Senator
of internet access and needed
Alessandra Biaggi and Assembly Member
technology for students in homeless
Andrew Hevesi (A.3912-A/S.3593-A)
PAGE 3#Wifi4Homeless: A Movement to Close the Digital Divide AUGUST 2021
that would require local social service With the support of City Bar staff,
districts to provide internet access for community partners, and pro bono
all individuals residing in temporary supporters, the #Wifi4Homeless
housing, with the cost covered by the advocacy campaign successfully
State. Under the bill, temporary housing captured the attention of key
would include, but not be limited to, stakeholders and served as the basis for
family shelters, shelters for adults, proposed State legislation. While there
domestic violence shelters, runaway and is still much work left to be done, the
homeless youth shelters, or safe houses victories of the past year are important
for refugees. This bill would represent a steps towards the ultimate goals of
huge step towards closing the digital closing the digital divide and securing
divide by ensuring that all shelter reliable internet access for all homeless
residents across New York State are shelter residents in New York.
finally guaranteed reliable internet
access. While the bill did not pass either
house before the end of the legislative
session, the City Bar plans to work
during the coming months with the bill’s
sponsors and its partners in advocating
for its enactment.
CONCLUSION
The findings of the City Bar Justice
Center’s May 2020 report, and the
subsequent #Wifi4Homeless campaign,
helped fuel a movement aimed at
ensuring all shelter residents across
New York State are finally guaranteed
reliable internet access.
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