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April 30, 2020

New York Bars Unhoused People from Sheltering in Subways
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New York transit officials are teaming up with the NYPD to force
unhoused people from the subway system. Under a new policy, people will
not be allowed to remain in a subway station for more than an hour, and
will be removed from trains that reach the end of a subway line. On
Tuesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo attacked unhoused people for
sheltering in subway cars.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo: "That is disgusting, what is happening on those
subway cars. It's disrespectful to the essential workers who need to
ride the subway system."

Coalition for the Homeless responded, "More policing won't stop homeless
individuals from taking refuge in the subways because it doesn't address
what people actually need: safe, private space so they can take the
advice of health officials to maintain social distance. The City could
open up thousands of hotel rooms and offer every single person on the
subway access to them, if only Mayor de Blasio had the political will."
New York Governor Cuomo has repeatedly rejected the idea of raising
taxes on wealthy New Yorkers to pay for services for the unhoused.