Judge Again Halts NYC's Removal Of Homeless People From Hotels

New York City NY

06 August, 2021

4:14 PM

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NEW YORK CITY — A controversial plan to kick New York City's homeless people out of hotels is again on hold. A federal judge this week ordered a temporary pause on the evictions underway by the city. The order comes from a lawsuit filed on behalf of disabled homeless New Yorkers by a group of advocates, including the Legal Aid Society. They argued the city's Department of Homeless Service's plans to move homeless people out of hotels temporarily used for shelters during the coronavirus pandemic violated the rights of protected people. "This ruling is a victory for homeless New Yorkers with disabilities," Joshua Goldfein, a staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society's Homeless Rights Project, said in a statement. "The order ensures DHS must implement proper protocols before they transfer a client and to verify that clients are going to a place that can serve their specific needs. They have been moving much too quickly because they have tremendous pressure coming down on them from the Mayor to get this done sooner than is reasonable, and they don't have enough resources to do what they need to do. It's terrible that our clients had to experience these unnecessary transfers when they could have been moved to permanent housing." The city's effort to temporarily house homeless people in hotels during the pandemic has been controversial from the get-go. Many people in neighborhoods, such as the Upper West Side, complained about the set-ups in hotels. Lawsuits followed, especially after city officials decided to move homeless people out of hotels as the coronavirus appeared to subside. The judge's order effectively gives the city until Aug. 19 to come up with a plan for homeless New Yorkers with disabilities.