New York City moving thousands of people from hotels back to shelters

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) on Wednesday announced the city plans to move about 8,000 people experiencing homelessness back into shelters from the hotels where they have lived throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

During the announcement, de Blasio mentioned the move would impact approximately 8,000 people.

A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Social Services-Department of Homeless Services later clarified to The Hill that the move would affect around 9,000 people.

The city last year placed New Yorkers experiencing homelessness into 60 hotels emptied by pandemic restrictions in an effort to remove them from crowded situations that could exacerbate the spread of coronavirus. De Blasio in his announcement cited a drop in COVID-19 cases and a rise in vaccinations.

The spokesperson told The Hill this program was temporary, explaining that the city had planned during the pandemic to end the initiative once it was over.

He said the city’s Department of Social Services had reached out to the state to receive authorization to move people back into shelters but expected it to be complete by the end of July.

“It is time to move homeless folks who were in hotels for a temporary period of time back to shelters where they can get the support they need,” de Blasio said during the press conference. 

“And again, the shelter is only a step along the way. The ultimate goal is affordable housing and a new life,” de Blasio added. He did not specify how the state would connect people to affordable housing after moving them back into shelters. 

The move comes as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced on Tuesday that COVID-19 restrictions in the state have been lifted now that 70 percent of New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

The announcement made COVID-19 measures like capacity restrictions, social distancing and contact tracing information optional and likely signals the beginning of a resurgence in tourism for the area.

A spokesperson for New York state’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance said that given Cuomo’s recent guidance on lifting social distancing guidelines, the city doesn’t need approval from the state as long as the city follows masking guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

“CDC guidance effectively says that masks even for vaccinated individuals are required in certain sensitive congregate settings, one of those is homeless shelters. New York is adhering to this guidance and will require no special requirements of homeless shelters other than to require all residents to wear masks,” the spokesperson said.

— Updated 7:05 p.m.