The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless are sounding the alarm in response to a report released today by the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) which examined issues at the Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing Intake Center (PATH), an intake facility in the Bronx for families with children seeking shelter.

“This investigation reveals a disturbing cover-up by the City to hide the number of Right to Shelter violations it amassed in the summer of 2022,” reads a statement from the organizations. “We are extremely troubled by the City’s actions, and by the finding that the City manipulated shelter eligibility data for families with children.”

The organizations are calling on The City Council to immediately hold an oversight hearing in response to the report and work towards legislative solutions to guarantee that PATH is processing families in a timely fashion and placing them in appropriate shelter, that records are accurately kept to ensure the integrity of the data reported to the public, and that the City is complying with their legal and moral mandate to provide shelter to homeless families with children who seek it.