The Rochester Housing Coalition is campaigning for justice ahead of legislation slated to hit the ballot this fall.

“The housing crisis here in the city of Rochester is to the extent that it’s an epidemic of people sleeping on the streets," coalition member Patrick Braswell said.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren admitted in her State of the City address that there is more work to be done when it comes to affordable housing, but she also praised the city's progress. However, the coalition says the city is failing its most vulnerable residents.

Braswell helps operate the Rochester Homeless Union, which he co-founded from the House of Mercy in Rochester.

“The House of Mercy is our base station," Braswell said. "They support the things the Homeless Union does, and we need the support.” 

Despite the progress Mayor Lovely Warren touted Tuesday night, Braswell says things are getting worse and need for sweeping reforms.

“There’s supposed to be affordable housing complexes but they’re coming and buying these places, claiming they’re going to make them into high-end hotels and motels, apartment complexes, and trying to gentrify our community," Braswell said. "What they do is actually evict the people out of these places, who then don’t have anywhere to go.”

That’s why stood along the Wilson Foundation Academy and other advocates on Wednesday to call for change. 

“There are so many people working in silos on these issues," Mercedes Phelan with Citizens in Action said. "But if we work together we can be much stronger and actually get this stuff passed.”

There are several proposed bills will be left up to the voters that aim to prevent evictions and stabilize housing.

The Coalition says emergency placements are up 18 percent in the last year, and anywhere from 800 to 1,000 people are homeless every night. In fact, 30 percent of Rochester City School District students are considered homeless.

“The city has made some reforms but I think we need to build off those and be very ambitious because overall evictions are getting higher,” Ryan Acuff with the City Wide Tenant Union said.

Braswell says the mission is so close to his heart because he’s a resident of the House of Mercy.

“Because they’re homeless, people are probably lazy or drug addicts, or looking for a handout. I had that in the back of my mind too because I didn’t know better," Braswell said. "Until I was there at the shelter, and like I’m talking to you, I talked to these people, and I realized they’re no different than me.”

He lost his job and home after a work-related injury two years ago.

“I went to a shelter because I couldn’t afford to pay for the housing I was in," Braswell said. "I was living in Henrietta, and it was costing me $930 a month.”

He hopes voters get educated on the legislation to curb what he can only describe as an epidemic.

“We’re looking for the city to have more of a concern for its people. The lower income people based here," Braswell said. "They’re the people that made the city what it is through the work details and so forth.”