Judge temporarily blocks New York City’s transfer of homeless people from hotels to group shelters
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to move 8,000 homeless people from hotels, where they have been living temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic, back to group shelters faced a temporary setback last week. A federal judge blocked the plan, ruling that the city had not adequately considered the homeless peoples’ health as it began implementing the move.
The ruling results from a legal challenge that was filed by the Legal Aid Society. The organization alleged that the city had refused to allow homeless people with disabilities or serious health problems to apply for reasonable accommodations, even though a 2017 class action settlement requires the city to do so. The Legal Aid Society accused the city of violating the rights and endangering the lives of the homeless. The judge agreed that violating the right to reasonable accommodation could cause “irreparable harm” to the “psychological, physical and mental health” of the homeless.