NEW YORK – Homeless people in the five boroughs can stay there, at least for the time being, after a judge temporarily blocked the city’s plan to move them from hotels to community shelters.
Thousands of homeless people in New York City have stayed in hotels since moving out of shelters at the start of the pandemic.
They said hotels are safe and privacy, and moving to an animal shelter would ruin the work they have put into self-employment.
A judge issued an injunction on Tuesday. Stop the city’s efforts to evict the homeless out of hotels and take them to emergency shelters.
The city began moving her back to temporary shelters until the Legal Aid Society filed a motion to dismiss the process for violating the rights of people with medical and mental health problems.
The order requires the city to ensure that the needs of disabled homeless New Yorkers are properly assessed before they are returned to shelters.
Before the verdict, homeless people were walking around town protesting the transfers.
On Friday, about 25 people locked themselves in their rooms at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Midtown and refused, citing the highly contagious Delta variant.
Women at the Fifth Avenue hotel have also fought against the city’s plan, but leaders said shelter was given to people with special needs.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city has done everything based on state and federal guidelines and is in constant consultation with the health team.
The Department of Homeless Services oversees transfers for homeless people across the city.
PIX11 News has requested a comment.
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