August 8, 2024
Contact: Julia Roach | jroach@skdknick.com

NY SANE Co-Conveners Demand City Stop Relegating New Arrivals to the Streets; Increase Accountability

NEW YORK, NY— As a result of the City’s inadequate and short-sighted policies, the number of asylum-seekers who have been evicted from shelter and are being forced to sleep on the streets of New York City is sharply rising, the New York Times reported today. 

In response, the Co-Conveners of the NY SANE Coalition - a group comprised of religious leaders, organized labor, and advocates defending the right to shelter - issued the following statement:

“Shelter limits are a cruel and senseless policy. With the number of new arrivals sleeping on the streets reaching an all-time high, we can now see firsthand how this approach is failing our most vulnerable - all while exacerbating the ongoing issue of street homelessness across our city.

We are over two years into the asylum-seeker crisis, and our partners in government must shift their focus away from undermining the right to shelter and towards the common-sense policy solutions we know are effective, such as expanding housing vouchers, increasing access to employment and upholding the right to shelter. At the state level, we need the swift passage of State Senator Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Catalina Cruz’s legislation to end shelter limits when the legislature reconvenes in Albany. 

In addition to these measures, the City must commit to publicly tracking and reporting data on those who are being turned away from shelters and forced to sleep outside. As advocates and providers, we must understand the full scope of the crisis and the devastating impact of the 30/60 day rule, and New Yorkers deserve to know as well.”