June 28, 2021 Coalition for the Homeless By Coalition for the Homeless NEW YORK — The following statement from Coalition for the Homeless is in response to the City’s decision to begin moving homeless New Yorkers out of hotels and back to congregate shelters. “We stand in solidarity with our homeless neighbors who are being prematurely moved from safe, private hotel rooms back to congregate shelters despite the continued danger to their health and wellbeing. As the return to congregate shelters has begun, we are witnessing a disjointed and chaotic process play out on the ground. The Department of Homeless Services should immediately halt the return to congregate shelters and redouble efforts to help homeless New Yorkers move into permanent, affordable housing. By accelerating the implementation of Intro. 146 to raise CityFHEPS voucher amounts, prioritizing newly allocated Federal Emergency Housing Vouchers for people in hotels, and fully using all available apartments controlled by municipal agencies, the City can and should permanently house these New Yorkers. The pandemic has shown us that housing truly is health care, and that we are only as safe as the most vulnerable among us,” said Jacquelyn Simone, Senior Policy Analyst at the Coalition for the Homeless.
