The following statement is in response to Mayor de Blasio’s announcement today to add more hotel space for homeless New Yorkers during the COVID-19 crisis. “Although Mayor de Blasio announced a plan today to add more hotel space for homeless New Yorkers by April 20th, it does not come close to meeting the scale or urgency of the need. The time for incremental change has long since passed, and we need bold and immediate action to save lives. While we may soon see a flattening of the curve for NYC as a whole, we will continue to see rising infections, hospitalizations, and deaths among homeless New Yorkers in shelters as long as most of the 19,000 single homeless adults remain in congregate facilities. The City must immediately expand hotel capacity for homeless adults to accommodate all age 55 and older, all with health conditions making them vulnerable to serious risks if exposed to COVID-19, all who are unable to safely distance from others in dormitories and cafeterias, and all staying on the streets seeking a safe place to stay indoors,” said Giselle Routhier, Policy Director at Coalition for the Homeless.
