The Adams administration is trying to solve the city's worst homelessness crisis since the Great Depression by making it easier for homeless shelters to kick people out onto the street.
On Tuesday, the CITY reported that New York City's Department of Homeless Services was trying out a new set of rules for "Enhanced Client Placement Support" in its shelters. In plain, less Orwellian language, these "enhancements" mean that DHS could "deny adults a placement in shelters if they fail to maintain active public benefits cases, turn down a housing placement or repeatedly violate shelter rules."
During a recent City Council hearing, Molly Park, who oversees DHS in her role as the commissioner of the Department of Social Services, played down the effect of the new rules and said they weren't anticipating many ejections from shelters because of them. "It is really about building this culture of accountability," Park testified.
Except we've seen this before, during the Bloomberg administration, which also attempted to put stricter rules on New Yorkers staying in shelters, despite state law that gives anyone in need a right to a place to sleep.