A week after the New York Post falsely conflated the work of the homeless advocacy group Picture the Homeless with "pimps" and "hookers," the paper obtained a letter from City Counsel attorney Elizabeth Fine asking for a probe of the non-profit that may shut off its funding—PTH was scheduled to receive $50K this fiscal year. The Post's subheadline for the web article begins, " 'Picture' this:" Yeah! Take that, organization working to enact meaningful social change.
PTH, which rallied in front of New York's News Corp headquarters on Thursday, released a statement today addressing the backlash the Post's "misleading and racially charged article" has caused. "Unsubstantiated allegations should not be the basis for the loss of public funds," councilmember Letitia James says in the release. "Until an independent investigation is completed, Picture the Homeless should continue receiving public funds. They serve a vulnerable population and are addressing crucial issues—especially at a time when the housing crisis is causing homelessness to increase at a devastating rate."
Gideon Oliver, the president of the New York Chapter of the National Lawyer's Guild said, "A team of legal allies are working with PTH to respond to this attack on what amounts to over 10% of PTH's annual budget…We are considering all options, including litigation."
