More Legal Victories Against New York City
This week the County of Rockland secured not one but two legal victories that prohibit the City of New York from sheltering individuals in Rockland.
The first was a New York State Supreme Court Judge expanding the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) the County has against the City of New York, Mayor Eric Adams, and New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. This TRO was expanded from preventing the Sanctuary City from transporting any individuals currently residing in any temporary shelter to ANY location in the County of Rockland, in violation of the New York Social Services Law, and no longer just limited to Armoni Inn & Suites.
It’s clear New York City and Mayor Eric Adams are not trustworthy as they still have not contacted my administration with any details of their plans as required and have continued to blindside officials and municipalities throughout the state with their illegal decompression strategy. This expanded restraining order will keep Mayor Adams from overstepping his authority and prevent any further attempts to break local building and zoning laws and violate New York State Social Services Law.
In another major victory a separate New York State Supreme Judge found that the Town of Orangetown has a right to enforce its zoning and granted the towns preliminary injunction, prohibiting the Armoni Inn & Suites from engaging in its agreement with the City of New York through the end of the full case after depositions, discovery, and motions.
For the largest city in the country to claim they do not have the space is false, with this poorly planned decompression strategy even drawing criticism from the New York City Council.
New York City’s current population is down roughly half a million since April 2020, over 20,000 hotel rooms are unoccupied, and more than 2,000 of the city’s supportive housing units – which are meant for homeless individuals – are available.
Some of the irreparable harm that would be caused by the City of New York’s plan includes compounding the housing crisis the County has due to a lack of housing and affordable housing. The County of Rockland is currently conducting a Housing Needs Assessment which early findings from 2018 through 2022 found:
- +177% low-income/subsidized rental housing calls
- +160% rental payment assistance calls
- +63% increase in students experiencing homelessness
Rockland is not anti-immigrant, but we are struggling with the organic migration of people with direct ties to our community. We continue to stand opposed to the Mayor’s short-sighted plan to protect the individuals they’re attempting to shelter outside city limits from what would likely become a one-way ticket to homelessness.
For that reason, I am establishing a new Emergency Order in response to the City of New York’s unlawful program to establish illegal city shelters in Rockland County.
As a matter of law, each public welfare district is responsible for the assistance and care of any person who resides or is found in its territory including New York City. This order bars other municipalities from establishing shelters in this County and prohibits them from foisting their own policies, costs, and responsibilities on this County.
