Cuomo says the homeless must be taken to shelter in freezing weather.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued an executive order mandating cities statewide to take homeless people from the street to shelters when temperatures hits freezing.
The order is intended to ensure the homeless are able to find relief from freezing temperatures. It directs shelters to extend their hours of operations in the event of air temperatures at or below 32 degrees, including National Weather Service Calculations for wind chill.
Cuomo called the plan a New Year's resolution for the state of New York. Liz Hitt is the Executive Director for Homeless and Travelers Aid Society in Albany. "We're thrilled by the governor's order. It did come as a little bit of a surprise, but I think Governor Cuomo and New York State in general have always been pacesetting in terms of homeless services." It takes effect Tuesday, and mandates police departments and social service agencies move people into shelters, including those who may not wish to go.
Cuomo tells WCBS-AM the state will not leave anyone on the streets in freezing weather. "We will make sure that they are sheltered and that they are safe." The governor says the order is necessary to protect people from hypothermia and potential death. Hitt says she's never seen anything like this. "We're not exactly sure what the impact will be, it just happened yesterday. A bunch of us are getting together this afternoon to discuss the order and what's the process going to be. Thankfully, the governor is saying there's gonna be funding to support whatever needs to happen. So, shelters and all of those places are going to need some money to support whatever needs to happen in order to extend hours and provide additional beds."
Cuomo promises the State will assist local social services districts if they are lacking facilities, resources or expertise. In a statement, a spokeswoman for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says the Big Apple supports the governor's intent but believes the action requires passage of a state law. The governor fired back that he's ready to defend the policy in the courts. "I will be responsible, because it's my edict. So a local police commissioner can just say, y'now, 'go to Governor Cuomo, he made us do it.' And if I get sued for keeping people safe, and getting people in from the cold, because they were endangering themselves, then so be it."
Figures on party affiliation among homeless voters gathered in 2008 by the National Coalition for the Homeless showed 60 percent of homeless voters identified as Democrats. A call to the Cuomo administration requesting comment on the Governor's decision to issue an executive order at this time was not returned.
Hitt says there is a Code Blue Homeless alert in Albany for Monday Jan 4th and Tuesday Jan 5th, 2016—single-digit temperatures and wind chills are forecast. "Code Blue here in Albany has been around for about six years, and the Code Blue effort is triggered when it reaches 10 degrees or less, including the wind chill. It's a collaborative effort, it involves several homeless shelters, it involves ourselves, we coordinate the effort for the Albany community. It's been a partnership with the police, local hospitals, et cetera. Last year just over 5,000 shelter beds were provided through the Code Blue effort."
Hitt says homeless persons can go directly to either the Capital City Rescue Mission at 259 S. Pearl Street or the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless Drop-In Center at 26 South Swan Street. The Homeless Action Committee will assist with transportation and outreach.
