Coalition for the Homeless Statement Ahead of New York City’s First Winter Snowstorm

NEW YORK, NY – The following statement released today by the Coalition for the Homeless is in response to reports of a major winter storm approaching the New York area and how it could impact homeless New Yorkers.

“With the season’s first snowstorm approaching, the City is woefully unprepared to meet the basic needs of unsheltered homeless New Yorkers who require warm indoor accommodations. Right now, when there are thousands of people sleeping rough on the streets, the City’s only open warming center is one space in Manhattan with 15 chairs. The City can and must use empty hotel capacity, such as at the Radisson Hotel downtown, to help individuals in need move quickly off the streets. Injury and death from exposure to the elements are real risks for people struggling to survive on the streets, and this requires that the City act quickly to provide COVID-safe emergency accommodations for those who need to get out of the freezing weather as the storm bears down on our city,” said Giselle Routhier, Policy Director at Coalition for the Homeless.