De Blasio tripping up on homelessness crisis, local officials say

Placing homeless people in outer-borough hotels is not the answer, they say

The city’s homelessness crisis seems to be worsening and local officials aren’t exactly sure how to amend it. But one thing they say isn’t working is the De Blasio administration's tactic of placing homeless individuals in outer-borough hotels without informing the community beforehand, reports the NY Daily News.

At a press conference held outside of City Hall, State Senator Jose Peralta, City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, and State Senator Joseph Addabbo heavily criticized Mayor de Blasio’s administration in their handling of the ongoing crisis.

Mayor de Blasio’s plan to use a hotel in Maspeth, Queens as a shelter has been a point of contention for officials, who say they're been getting mixed reports about exactly how the building will be used. There's been confusion over whether the hotel will be fully converted into a shelter, and no confirmation of that has come directly from the de Blasio administration.

"This is a clear example the de Blasio administration does not know what they’re doing," declared Councilwoman Crowley. They also argued that the hotels that are being used to shelter the homeless lack necessary services needed to help them get back on their feet.

Senator Addabbo suggested using some of the city’s vacant lots to create shelters, however, spokeswoman Lauren Gray for the Department of Homelessness deemed that suggestion as inadequate. "Their solution to people who are homeless now is vacant lots. Their demands would put homeless New Yorkers in the street."

Mayor de Blasio has vowed to improve community outreach but essentially says that locals must take responsibility too in getting the crisis fixed and not get upset when shelters are proposed.

from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/10/7/13194276/nyc-homeless-crisis-mayor-de-blasio