January 21, 2023 (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless issued the following statement in response the City’s announcement of a forthcoming Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center (HERRC) at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal: “Not only do we have concerns with the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers’ ability to comply with the City’s Right to Shelter obligations, but the forthcoming HERRC at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal announced today is also in a high-risk flood zone, according to the City’s own maps, and will needlessly expose future residents to the elements during some of the coldest months of the year. “Hotels have always been the better short-term option, in contrast to erecting tents in inaccessible parts of NewYork City that are prone to flooding. “Instead of wasting more taxpayer dollars on HERRCs and jeopardizing the safety of migrants in need of relief, the City must utilize existing voucher programs, such as CityFHEPS, to help homeless New Yorkers move into permanent housing, thereby allowing shelters to accommodate new entrants. “Continuing to move asylum seekers around the boroughs like chess pieces is callous and indicative of City Hall’s failure to competently manage this crisis, and it’s especially frustrating that Mayor Adams continues to disregard the alternatives we have recommended since this crisis broke last year.”
