The city’s shelter system denied dozens of men temporary housing on Monday, in violation of the five boroughs’ right-to-shelter law, the Legal Aid Society claims.

The city was unable to place at least 60 people Monday night, the Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless alleged in a joint press release. New York City’s right-to-shelter law guarantees temporary housing for anyone who applies for shelter placement. 

“It is now clear that this administration simply does not have a handle on the city’s sprawling homelessness crisis and the serious capacity issue in the Department of Homeless Services’ (DHS) shelters,” the two organizations said in a joint statement. 

What You Need To Know

  • The city’s shelter system denied at least 60 men temporary housing on Monday, in violation of the five boroughs’ right-to-shelter law, the Legal Aid Society claims

  • New York City’s right-to-shelter law guarantees temporary housing for anyone who applies for shelter placement

  • The city has been opening emergency shelters and using hotels as temporary shelters to meet a growing demand for housing in recent months

  • An influx of asylum seekers arriving in the five boroughs has significantly strained the city’s shelter system, officials have repeatedly said

“We are extremely alarmed by the frequency of these violations under this administration and, as legally required, the city must immediately promulgate a plan to ensure that no further violations occur,” they added. 

The two groups plan to take legal action against the city if it violates the law again, the release said. NY1 has reached out to DHS for comment on the allegations. 

The city has been opening emergency shelters and using hotels as temporary shelters to meet a growing demand for housing. An influx of asylum seekers arriving in the five boroughs has significantly strained the city’s shelter system, officials have repeatedly said. 

Monday’s alleged infractions came about a month after DHS Commissioner Gary Jenkins confirmed that some migrant families had slept at a city intake center overnight, another breach of the right-to-shelter law. 

“We fell short,” Jenkins said at a City Council hearing on Aug. 9, while promising to avoid future violations. 

More than 9,800 migrants have arrived in the city and sought temporary housing through the city's shelter system in recent months, a City Hall spokesperson said Tuesday. 

Many of the migrants have arrived in New York by way of Texas, whose governor, Greg Abbott, has said he will continue to send asylum seekers to the city to highlight what he describes as a “crisis” fueled by President Joe Biden’s border policies.