The number of homeless housed in hotels by the city has soared 50 percent in just two months – from 3,990 in July to 6,000 this month, The Post has learned.
The surge comes despite a pledge by Mayor de Blasio in February to “utilize hotels less and less and, as quickly as possible, to stop using hotels,” following the murder of a homeless woman and her two kids in a Staten Island hotel.
There were 2,656 homeless people in hotels at the time, with an average room cost of $161 per night.
The growing crisis has led to protests in parts of Queens, where residents have railed against the administration for plunking down homeless hotels with little notice.
There were 59,928 homeless individuals staying in shelters and hotels as of Thursday.
Emails obtained by The Post reveal that the surge in hotel use was predicted by de Blasio lobbying pal James Capalino, who in early 2015 questioned why the administration had enacted a moratorium on new “transitional” apartments for the homeless.
On Jan. 15, 2015 Capalino emailed then-Deputy Mayor Lilliam Barrios-Paoli to express concern that the Department of Homeless Services had been “told to suspend development of shelters/transitional residences,” even though he had clients ready to create them.
“Given that residences such as we are proposing are much more appropriate for housing families in transition than hotel rooms, etc., we believe that it makes sense for the city to create a pipeline of these projects (which will take 12-18 months to build) so that as they come on line, the less appropriate units that the city is now using can be ‘shed,’” Capalino wrote.
In response, Barrios-Paoli the moratorium. was temporary.
Neither Barrios-Paoli, who has left the administration, nor Capalino would comment on the exchange.
10 comments:
Do you really think warehousing these people in hotels are really appropriate?
They are kicked out at a certain time to do what? Go where?
Some may have jobs but the others?
The children what an unstable environment being shuffled from hotel to hotel awaiting permanent housing.
The DHS does not care there are no kitchens in these places. You are just giving them a room to sleep in and bathe in but is that a place you call home?
You do not care about these people after you place them. Are any of them who can work offered services to do so? Mentally ill peoole are they getting the help they need? The veterans who are homeless is a shame. These men and women made the ultimate sacrifice to help defend our country and this is how we pay them back? These people should get free housing and should be recognized for what they did for all of us to have the freedom we have today!
I find it truly appalling that our government does not help them more.
Are the drug addicts getting the help they need?
Are area schools updated with all the sex offenders in the area? The community too?
Just don't warehouse them and forget about them.
More people noticed this opportunity and took advantage to get free stuff.
That you are paying for...
Can not understand why we can not voice our opinions about this? We do not have a say in what happens in our community?
Why is city hall saying we are racist child haters?
I thought we live in America. We have a right to speak our minds. We do not live in a communist country!
Playing the race card just divides us. This warehousing the homeless in communities boro wide and city wide is facing opposition and why is that? Are we all racist, child hating people?
No we are looking for solutions to this and to stop warehousing these people.
Many of them just could not keep up with the ever increasing taxing we are faced with. Many jobs are being outsourced and the healthcare industry is getting to us too. Higher copays, deductibles.
So when we have no choice but to go homeless we turn to you the city of NY to help us not shuffle us around like cattle.
Why is there so many opting to sleep out doors?
These shelters are not safe,clean and functional.
You got to do better.
And to the hotel chains that allow this to happen it is all about the money and you should be ashamed of yourself for associating with warehousing these people. They do deserve better. Don't they!
Welcome to the dumblasio era....those of you idiots who voted for him are responsible for this shit.
Most of the homeless don't even belong here. I say that ny should make it harder for anyone to go on welfare and start drug testing. It's called tough love either work for yourself or find yourself another state to move to. There are 49 other states that they can look for jobs in. Let them go back to their own home states or own countries of origin. We need welfare reform badly. We also need a huge reform on social security. The people that do work can't afford to retire because the people who are too lazy to work take all the government money. So backwards!
Go easy,
They need a place to house the Democrat voting block until the fall election.
They have arrived in Maspeth as we speak.
Secretly put in with no contract as of yet.
Well here we go Maspeth.
And the mayor thinks he will be voted in again
I would like to see this! Keep secretly shuffling people around hotel to hotel borough to borough.
Yes 30 employed homeless men are there.
I hope they like the transportation here in Maspeth. That is why I left Manhattan. Got myself a job using the 58 or 59 down to Queens Blvd. Not bad working in Elmhurst but the changes this mayor did with bike lanes and the homeless shelter it ruined this area. Homeless people all over. Panhandling. One even wants to read your palm for $5.00. A mentally ill man talking to himself by Georgia Diner. Sleeping the the circles by the Target mall area.
I appreciate coming home to Maspeth and really not having to deal with this.
Having said this I hope these 30 individuals will not panhandle or use the parks as flop houses until they can go back in.
But if they are renting are they subjected to the same perks as hotel guests?? How do you know who is who over there? Is there something that singles them out? I hope nothing singles them out because we all know what that means!
Shall I say it? Or are we not allowed too. Well I will a prison camp?
I hope these people are treated humanely and I hope they get on their feet quickly. I hope there are services for them and not forgotten.
We need to apply pressure to city council and the borough president.
I will wager that you will reelect all the current officials that are sticking your communities with all these homeless peoples.
The elected officials speak so passionately at your civic meetings and then commit their shenanigans in the dark of night against you.
Prove me wrong...
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