Politics on the Hudson

   Advocates for the poor participating in the 21st annual People’s State of the State rally Tuesday called on lawmakers and the governor to raise the minimum wage, boost unemployment benefits and create more affordable housing.

   “Too many people are unemployed, too many people are out of work, too many people are at the food pantries and the soup kitchens,” said Mark Dunlea, executive director of the Hunger Action Network.

   About 50 people gathered on the steps of the Capitol to recommend priorities for Gov. David Paterson and the Legislature, a day before the governor gives his annual State of the State address and the Legislature begins its session. They plan to set up a soup kitchen outside the Capitol Wednesday for people on their way to the speech.

   Rally participants said the minimum wage, which increased to $7.25 an hour last July, should be at least $10 an hour and indexed to inflation. New York’s maximum weekly unemployment benefit of $405 should be raised to $475, they said.

   Housing insecurity issues underlie all other economic security issues, said Dennis Hanratty, executive director of Mount Vernon United Tenants. Westchester County is one of the most expensive places to live in the country, he said.

   A study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that a New York household must bring in hourly wages of $23.21 in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair-market rent without spending more than 30 percent of income on housing. The same statistic for Westchester County is $30.96 an hour.

   Hanratty said he sees people spending $1,700 and $1,800 a month “living in garages, living in basements—places you wouldn’t keep your animals.”

   “How can people be effective members of their community, how can they do their jobs, how can they be in school if they’re always worried about being evicted?” he said.

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