July 28, 2022 (NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless issued the following statement in response to an announcement that the New York City Council will hold an oversight hearing on the City’s shelter intake process at its intake center in the Bronx: “New Yorkers deserve answers from the City, and we need assurances that meaningful action is underway to ensure that all families, including those seeking asylum, have unfettered access to shelter, as prescribed by statute and a court order. This crisis not only involves the influx of families from the border, but also those who have been forced from their homes due to skyrocketing rents and the lifting of critical eviction moratoria protections. We, as representatives of the homeless and as counsel who secured New York City’s historic right to shelter settlement, are more than willing to work with the City on a path forward that comports with their legal and moral obligations, and we laud the City Council for announcing this critical hearing.”
