Judge rules homeless men can stay at Lucerne Hotel in NYC -- for now
UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- A stay has been granted to prevent NYC from moving about 230 men from the Lucerne Hotel on the Upper West Side to the Radisson Hotel in Lower Manhattan.
On Thursday afternoon, a judge granted the men of the Lucerne an interim stay order until the court can hear their appeal.
Advocates for the homeless held a Zoom press call Thursday to demand that Mayor Bill de Blasio drop the transfer and allow the men to stay where they have on-site services, jobs and community support.
"We are extremely gratified that the court recognized the seriousness of this situation and the potential harm a move will cause to both the homeless men and the Lower Manhattan neighborhood. To issue this stay, the court had to conclude that there is a likelihood that we will win the appeal on the merits. We look forward to presenting our position before the full Appellate Division panel," said Theresa Vitug of Downtown New Yorkers, which brought the case.
UWS Open Hearts Initiative said the city should not leave the men in limbo through the holidays.
The city is accused of abusing emergency authority to create a new permanent shelter and misleading the community board.
Several men from the hotel have filed a motion and claim that the move would irreparably harm them and disrupt their mental health and substance abuse recovery programs if they are moved for the fourth time since March.
Last weekend, protesters planned a rally to draw 5,500 stick figures on the sidewalk to represent New Yorkers who don't have homes.
They say some of the homeless are sleeping 15 people to a room in some shelters every night.
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