August 3, 2023 (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless issued the following joint statement in response to New York State Supreme Court Judge Erika Edwards calendaring an emergency court conference on right to shelter scheduled for Friday, August 4, 2023, at 11:00 AM: “Earlier this week, we warned the City of imminent litigation should new arrivals and other New Yorkers in need of shelter continue to languish on local streets, particularly in front of the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan. “Last night, we petitioned the court to schedule an emergency conference requesting judicial intervention to protect the health and safety of our clients who face immense risk due to the City’s failure to comply with the Callahan consent decree. “Thankfully, soon after we wrote to the court, the City found alternate spaces for the people who were waiting on the street outside the Roosevelt Hotel and those new arrivals were transferred to interim sites. “The Callahan judgment requires the City to provide shelter and services to all single adults in need, and we believe that additional capacity exists for the City to comply with this consent decree. “We look forward to convening in court tomorrow to secure an outcome ensuring that the City will adhere to the law to avoid another scenario similar to what our clients suffered at the Roosevelt Hotel over the last several days.” BackgroundThis emergency court conference is before New York State Supreme Court Judge Erika Edwards tomorrow at 11:00 AM. The courtroom is located at 60 Centre Street – Part 10, Room 412 in Manhattan. Legal Aid and others will hold a media availability for press outside the courthouse following the conference. If you plan to attend, please RSVP with Redmond Haskins at rhaskins@legal-aid.org.
