Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson slammed the Mamdani administration’s choice to award a $1.86 billion contract for motels throughout the 5 boroughs to supply emergency house for the homeless — calling it “insane.”
“A billion {dollars} to increase contracts with NYC motels to proceed housing homeless households PLUS constructing extra everlasting shelters to proceed housing extra homeless households is insane,” Bronx BP Vanessa Gibson stated, linking to The Submit’s story in regards to the contract renewal.
“I don’t get it,” she stated in a press release on X.
The Submit reported Sunday that the town accepted a three-year $1.86 billion contract with the Lodge Affiliation of New York Metropolis Basis, which represents practically 300 motels, to supply emergency shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness.
The contract runs from July 1, 2026 by means of June 30, 2029.
Gibson complained the town was taking too lengthy to construct housing, general.
“We want MORE inexpensive and everlasting housing accelerated,” the borough president stated.
“These housing tasks are taking too lengthy to shut. There are nonetheless excellent housing tasks in my former Council district that also haven’t closed with HPD [Department of Housing Preservation and Development],” Gibson stated.
“But we’ll get a shelter faster,” she famous. “There must be no want for extra shelters. We have now work to do.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday vowed to ramp up the constructing of extra housing to cut back reliance on shelters and motels and curb homelessness.
“At the beginning, we all know that the preeminent disaster in New York Metropolis is that of the housing disaster, and we all know that the homelessness disaster is one going through that,” Mamdani stated.
He made the remark in the course of the groundbreaking for a brand new residence within the Hunts Level part of The Bronx that can present 96 supportive and inexpensive houses with on-site companies. The Doe Fund, a nonprofit centered on addressing homelessness and recidivism, will provide companies.
“What makes in the present day so thrilling is that we’re constructing not solely housing that at the moment homeless New Yorkers, in addition to these vulnerable to homelessness, can dwell in, however that we’re accompanying that housing with the form of companies that make it doable for these New Yorkers to rework their very own lives,” Mamdani stated.
A multi-agency process power is seeking to convey extra housing items on-line sooner, he added.
The mayor’s workplace stated 15% of latest inexpensive housing is being put aside for homeless residents and a “homelessness blueprint” is being crafted.
Leila Bozorg, the deputy mayor for housing and planning, stated, “We’re rising the funding not only for supportive housing however for all inexpensive housing, a lot of which has 15% put aside for previously homeless New Yorkers.”
“So the plan itself is rising exponentially the houses that shall be constructed for previously homeless New Yorkers,” she stated.
The administration is also engaged on a “broader homelessness blueprint” that shall be issued later this yr, Bozorg stated.
However metropolis officers stated motels had been nonetheless wanted to supply emergency house for the homeless to keep up capability in the course of the transition, and adjust to the town regulation to supply “proper to shelter” to those that want it.
The town relied closely on utilizing motels for emergency shelter to assist curb COVID-19 outbreak in the course of the top of the pandemic shutdown and continued to make the most of the house throughout a migrant disaster the place 1000’s of asylum seekers had been bused into the Huge Apple.
About 150 motels, motels and inns had been transformed to shelters in the course of the peak of the migrant inflow.
“By exercising the renewal choice of the company’s grasp contract with HANYC, DHS will have the ability to retain essential lodge capability, as wanted, whereas we work to convey extra conventional capability on-line, scale back reliance on motels, and rightsize our shelter footprint over the approaching years,” a Division of Social Providers/Homeless Providers spokesperson stated.
Gibson, whereas essential of the practically $2 billion emergency motels contract, welcomed the brand new housing growth that the mayor introduced in her borough on Monday.
“Congratulations to The Doe Fund, and its companions, metropolis companies, the finance workforce, and workers, for an vital funding in Hunts Level. Wanting ahead to the ribbon chopping on time and on finances!” the borough president stated.
“Thank You Mr. Mayor!”
