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LAS Decries City's Plan to Limit Shelter Stays for Families with Children

The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless are decrying a report that the Adams Administration will limit shelter stays for families with children to 60 days.

“Forcing families with children who have endured unthinkable suffering traveling to New York – trauma the Mayor reportedly saw with his own eyes when he visited the Darien Gap last week – to be denied safe shelter after 60 days is bankrupt of any humanity and is a stain our city’s long-standing reputation as a welcoming home for all,” reads a statement from the organizations.

“This plan will disrupt the one stable place in the lives of homeless students and create chaos for their schools, as parents are forced to choose between re-enrolling or spending the day traveling across the city to their current school,” the statement continues. “That’s a terrible outcome for both families and educators. In addition, the policy is in gross contradiction of statements made by this very Administration to ‘prioritize children with families’ as well as Governor Hochul’s comments to ensure the same.”

“Make no mistake: this proposal, like many before it, is designed to have a chilling effect. No New Yorker wants to see families with children huddled on the streets of our city, especially as winter approaches,” the statement reads. “We are assessing all of our options, including litigation, should the Adams Administration move forward with this callous and inhumane plan.”