Homelessness crisis
The motion argues that the unnamed Lucerne resident “has a right to join the case” because fellow shelter residents who oppose the move in the lawsuit “do not adequately represent his interests."
Nearly 300 homeless men currently residing in the Lucerne will be moved to a commercial hotel in the Financial District, which will soon be converted to a traditional shelter.
“The pandemic only magnified these inequities.”
Homeless shelter residents and advocates argued that the mayor's decision will scatter New Yorkers across three boroughs.
“I’m tired of moving, moving, moving, moving. Now you want to move us to somewhere far. I just want my own home. I’m tried of going around and around in circles. It hurts me.”
A nonprofit called the West Side Community Organization has hired Randy Mastro, Mayor Rudy Giuliani's former chief of staff, to represent them.
“This is reliant on data. This is reliant on medical experts.”
As part of an effort to let residents better socially distance during the pandemic, some 10,000 people were moved out of crowded shelters into 63 hotels across the city.
The city must aggressively begin opening hotel rooms for our clients, and they must do it now.
If approved by a judge, the settlement would expand services to youth experiencing homelessness.
As current and former outreach workers, we believe this plan is a massive misdirection of effort and resources.
'Both of these initiatives lack the actual solutions that we need, which is the low threshold shelters and actual housing.'