Press Release
Rolling Back the `Right to Shelter’ is Not the Solution to the Current Homelessness Crisis
There is an old saying: “Leadership is Forged in Crisis.” Right now our city is in the midst of a massive homelessness crisis which is being exacerbated by the current influx of asylum seekers and other new arrivals.
But a moment of crisis is not the time to limit a critical right that has stood for decades, and is so integral to who we are as a city; defining our values and principles.
The Community Service Society of New York (CSS) has always stood in support of a broad right to shelter for all New Yorkers who need it. In the years before the city’s `Right to Shelter’ law was adopted in 1981, CSS researchers Ellen Baxter and Kim Hopper conducted a seminal study, entitled: “Private Lives, Public Spaces.” It documented the horrid conditions and struggles of unhoused New Yorkers living on the street without shelter. Ever since, CSS has worked to preserve and expand rights and resources for the homeless.
Rolling back the right to shelter is not the solution; it will only compound the city’s homelessness problem as we approach what could be one of our most severe winters in a long time. Just consider the specter of large numbers of homeless people camping out on city streets, and seeking shelter in our subway system. This could have the real potential of discouraging people from visiting the city or using the public transit system in their daily lives—with consequences for the city’s economy.
As with any crisis, this moment presents our city with opportunities for creative thinking and bold action premised on humane solutions that don’t force New Yorkers into unsafe conditions, but instead respect individual dignity and draw on our resources to effectively manage this crisis.
And let’s not forget, this city was built on the backs of immigrants, and will continue to be a magnet for those who find fertile soil in it to sow and reap their dreams.
To be sure, the current humanitarian crisis is testing New York’s resolve and underscoring the entrenched nature of our housing crisis. But this city has always taken on tough challenges. We need our leaders, Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul, to show leadership at this critical moment, by preserving our core values and devoting the resources necessary to guarantee shelter for all who need it.