From Hotels Back To Shelters: De Blasio Seeks 8K Homeless Move

New York City NY

16 June, 2021

1:50 PM

Description

NEW YORK CITY — About 8,000 homeless people temporarily staying in hotels under a COVID-19 safety effort could soon have their stays end. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday pressed for state approval to move those hotel-housed people back into shelters. "It is time to move homeless folks who were in hotels for a temporary period of time back to shelters where they can get the support they need," he said. Concerns that the coronavirus could spread in tightly packed shelters prompted city officials to temporarily move thousands of people who are homeless into hotels. The emergency public health effort quickly became unpopular in some parts of the city, particularly the Upper West Side. The neighborhood's Lucerne Hotel became a flash point for some residents who complained of declining quality of life and safety. Other residents and homeless advocates accused them of lacking compassion. "We have witnessed in the past weeks people posting photographs of these men, often simply sitting on a corner and speaking to their friends or members of the community," authors of a "compassion" petition wrote. "Discouraging others from donating to those in shelter; and speaking these men in ways that take away their humanity." The Lucerne situation spawned court battles and became emblematic of tensions between often well-to-do residents and downtrodden New Yorkers. De Blasio's said city officials asked their state counterparts for permission in May to move people from the remaining 60 temporary hotels and back into permanent shelter locations. He said the city's declining COVID-19 levels and wide state reopening Tuesday showed it's time to move. "Once we get that sign off, we can start immediately moving people to shelters and getting back to that work of moving them forward in their lives," he said.