Since the novel coronavirus began desecrating through New York more than five months ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration has been filling the city’s high-priced hotels with people experiencing homelessness in a bid to ease the burden on the shelter system and to curb the spread of the pathogen – ensuring that individuals have their own room and space to socially distance.
But there is a growing divide between advocates who contend it’s the only practical answer – despite the exorbitant costs – and some locals who fear for their own safety and worry it will fiscally break the city and spread crime.
As it stands, at least 139 hotels are deemed home to people experiencing homelessness – a sharp rise from the estimated 40 hotels that were used in place of shelters prior to the outbreak of the global pandemic this year. Around 13,000 individuals are believed to be living in such hotels across some of the five boroughs, with most of them transferred from various shelters. There are approximately 700 hotels in the once-bustling New York City, and roughly 20 percent are now used as homeless shelters.
“(This) will eventually bankrupt the city. With more and more people fleeing the city because of the homeless problem and defunding the police where they don’t feel safe, the city will not have the funds to sustain this,” Michael Fischer, President of the Central Park Civic Association, an advocacy group endeavoring to alert New Yorkers on the homelessness crisis, told Fox News. “And the crisis is only going to get worse.”
But it’s not only New Yorkers funding the homeless-in-hotels effort – the tab appears to extend to all American taxpayers.
In April – as New York became the epicenter of the virus and there was no indication that hotel business would resume in the near future – a $78 million initial contract was inked to find hotels for people experiencing homelessness. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) agreed to foot at least 75% of the costs of the rooms, with the associated expenses – such as moves, the staff, medical care, mental health and extra services – landing on the laps of the New York taxpayers. – READ MORE
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