You Won't Believe What NY Wants Americans To Pay For
The leadership in New York has made many blunders during this pandemic. Governor Cuomo put Corona-infected into nursing homes and Mayor DeBlasio cut $1 Billion from the NYPD. But it appears the leadership in New York were not happy with just screwing up their own State. So they went bigger and with FEMA's help are now charging American Taxpayers an excessive amount to house the homeless in their hotels, to prevent the spread of the Corona Virus.
"As it stands, at least 139 hotels are deemed home to people experiencing homelessness – a sharp rise from the estimated 40 hotels that were used in place of shelters prior to the outbreak of the global pandemic this year. Around 13,000 individuals are believed to be living in such hotels across some of the five boroughs, with most of them transferred from various shelters. There are approximately 700 hotels in the once-bustling New York City, and roughly 20 percent are now used as homeless shelters.
"(This) will eventually bankrupt the city. With more and more people fleeing the city because of the homeless problem and defunding the police where they don't feel safe, the city will not have the funds to sustain this," Michael Fischer, President of the Central Park Civic Association, an advocacy group endeavoring to alert New Yorkers on the homelessness crisis, told Fox News. "And the crisis is only going to get worse."
"But it's not only New Yorkers funding the homeless-in-hotels effort – the tab appears to extend to all American taxpayers.
In April – as New York became the epicenter of the virus and there was no indication that hotel business would resume in the near future – a $78 million initial contract was inked to find hotels for people experiencing homelessness. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) agreed to foot at least 75% of the costs of the rooms, with the associated expenses – such as moves, the staff, medical care, mental health and extra services – landing on the laps of the New York taxpayers.
As it stands, the contract runs through to October. There is no move-out date and it remains unclear if and when the initiative will end."
"City Hall declines to specify which hotels are being used citing privacy reasons, but Fox News was able to pinpoint a wide range of extended-stay and high-end luxury hotels being used – with Booking.com showing rooms for rent to visitors at costs no less than $130 per night and some beyond $300 a night.
Many showed no rooms available until at least September – due in large part because their occupancy contracts revolve around their newfound obligations. The NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is reported to have been busing in homeless individuals to hotels at a rate of around 1,000 per week since coronavirus swept in, some local reports have suggested."
So New York is of course not divulging the exact number housed this way but we are picking up 75% of the tab. Couldn't we find them cheaper accommodations? Just off the top of my head, they could have instead used motels and saved taxpayers a ton of money. But I guess their homeless are just too good for that.