The Legal Aid Society condemned the de Blasio Administration for capitulating to Upper West Side not in my back yard-ism by announcing plans to relocate homeless New Yorkers from the Lucerne Hotel to a family shelter in Manhattan, as reported by The New York Times.

Although these single adults will be relocated to a non-congregate family shelter with private rooms, there is no legal or moral justification forcing the City to upend the lives of some of New York’s most vulnerable in such a callous manner. Legal Aid will continue to monitor this situation and we are considering all options.

“The reason New York is doing so well right now is because people are able to socially distance. So the city’s use of hotels is part of the reason why the Covid positive rates we see everyday are so low,” said Josh Goldfein, Staff Attorney with our Homeless Rights Project.