ALBANY — Advocates and elected officials, including New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, are urging Mayor de Blasio and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to house up to 30,000 homeless individuals in unused hotel rooms to help them engage in social distancing and limit the spread of COVID-19.
With support from several New York City council members and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and state Assembly members Walter Mosley, Yuhline Niou and Harvey Epstein, the group said the move would stem the spread of coronavirus among people living on the streets as well as in homeless shelters.
New Orleans, Connecticut and California have already taken steps to offer hotel rooms to homeless people, without requiring a positive COVID-19 test first, according to a release.
The advocates include members and leaders of Communities United for Police Reform, Picture the Homeless, VOCAL-New York, Safety Net Activists of Urban Justice Center, Neighbors Together, and Human.nyc.