New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Forces Homeless Into Shelters During Cold Winters – A Warm Place For Almost 80,000?

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is looking out for the homeless, whether they want him to or not. He just signed an order that mandates admittance of homeless people throughout the state to shelters, during the cold winters.

Cuomo signed an executive order that requires local officials throughout the state to put the homeless into shelters, when temperatures dip below freezing. Essentially, the new order mandates homeless people to be removed from the streets and brought to shelters, when the temperatures become unforgiving. Though the intentions behind the order seem simple and life-saving, many feel the homeless should be left with the decision whether they wish to seek a state-offered roof over their head.

Andrew Cuomo on the other hand appears quite determined to ensure that the homeless in the state of New York are accorded a warm place to stay during the cold and harsh winters that New Yorkers brave every year.

Cuomo has vowed to strongly defend the edict, if it is challenged in court. In his executive order, Gov. Cuomo has directed state agencies to take “all necessary steps to identify individuals reasonably believed to be homeless and unwilling or unable to find the shelter necessary for safety and health in inclement winter weather, and move such individuals to the appropriate sheltered facilities,” reported The Christian Science Monitor.

Essentially, the executive order, whose implementation is expected to begin on Tuesday, mandates social service agencies and police to move homeless individuals into shelters when the temperature is at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius), reported Huffington Post. What’s concerning about the order is that it clearly mentions removal of the homeless from the streets of New York, with or without their consent. The homeless will have to be moved into shelters, if necessary, even if it is against their will.

Though the methods don’t leave any choice to the homeless, Cuomo chose to label this as a humanitarian effort during his interview on New York City news channel NY1,

“Our state, which has a beautiful tradition of social progress and community, should not leave anyone outside in freezing temperatures. That’s called basic humanity.”

Is the state of New York equipped to handle the barrage of homeless people? The executive order mentions that there are more than 77,000 emergency shelter beds available for homeless single adults, families and unaccompanied youth in the state. However, the homelessness in New York City has reached its highest levels since the Great Depression.

According to the Coalition for the Homeless, almost 60,000 people are homeless in the city of New York alone. The number includes more than 23,000 children. But according to a 2015 report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, there are more than 80,000 homeless people in the state of New York. The fact that New York is the fourth-most populous, and seventh-most densely populated state in America, merely exacerbates the problem.

Fortunately, Cuomo’s order does mention that the state will extend assistance to local agencies if they lack the necessary resources to handle the load. Additionally, the order asks shelters to stay open longer than their regular hours of operation to ensure the homeless can stay protected from the, “inclement winter weather which can cause hypothermia, serious injury and death.”

New York and the other big U.S. cities have long struggled with the challenge of dealing with the homeless. Interestingly, while the states do have numerous provisions for ensuring the survival of those without a roof over their head, it is the homeless, who refuse to be taken to shelters, even in the bitterest of colds. Many openly doubt their safety in the shelter, expressing fear about the rising crime in such places. Though shelters are accorded protection, crimes are common, say the homeless, who strongly avoid spending a night there.

[Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images]