NEW YORK — The following statement from Coalition for the Homeless is in response to Mayor de Blasio’s comments that it is time to move homeless residents from hotels back to shelters. “The pandemic is not over. There are people sleeping in shelters who are still testing positive and getting sick. Until permanent affordable housing can be secured, the safest option remains placement in hotel rooms. With the dangerous Delta variant on the rise and vaccination rates still not high enough, now is no time to let our guard down. Despite Mayor de Blasio’s comments, it is simply inaccurate to say that people aren’t getting services in hotels. It is unconscionable to guide homeless policy by the discomfort of housed New Yorkers, especially when lives are on the line,” said Giselle Routhier, Policy Director at Coalition for the Homeless.
