September 26, 2023 What to look for and ask about in the week ahead in the City’s and State’s efforts to manage New York’s crisis of increasing homelessness and the influx of new arrivals TODAY: BACK IN COURT September 26, 2:15pm: The next court conference in the City’s challenge to New York’s bedrock Right to Shelter. With President Biden’s granting of Temporary Protective Status to new arrivals from Venezuela, it’s an odd time to weaken the rules that keep adults and families from sleeping in the streets. Remember: NYC has been a beacon for immigrants for ~200 years, long before the Right to Shelter existed. MORE: Everything you need to know about the Right to Shelter case on our website. THE HOCHUL PLAN Gov. Hochul states that the way out of the current crisis is through helping asylum seekers and other new arrivals exit shelters and find work and stability throughout New York State. With the President’s long-awaited TPS announcement, now is the time for the Governor to focus on executing her plan. To this end, the Governor announced she is deploying 70 State personnel to help process work authorizations; launched a portal to help businesses connect with newly-authorized individuals; and launched the Migrant Relocation Assistance Program (MRAP) to resettle at least 1,250 new arrival households to communities throughout the state. What’s the actual outcome of these efforts? How many businesses have utilized the portal? How many households have been resettled through MRAP?
