New York City’s top social services official on Tuesday said that while locals in Broome County are griping about five homeless families relocated to their area, the city continues caring for 20 others from the same region.
“We assume that Broome County has sufficient shelter capacity to meet the needs of all eligible families and individuals,” Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks wrote in a letter to his Broome County counterpart.
“In the event that any of the 20 Broome County families in New York City shelters wish to return to shelter in Broome County, we would expect you to accommodate their needs.”
The county is about 178 miles northwest of the city.
Banks noted that some of the county’s homeless arrived in city shelters after being evicted from their upstate homes and asked Broome County Social Services Commissioner Nancy Williams what anti-eviction legal services and rent-arrears programs her county offers.
“This information will enable us to connect Broome County families who seek shelter in New York City to such services in the event that their prior Broome County housing may still be available,” wrote Banks.
Broome County officials last week accused the city of breaking the law by encouraging the families to move upstate with 12 months of rent paid up front by the city.
The state Senate said it would investigate the city’s program, known as Special One Time Assistance, under which more than 500 families have relocated outside of the five boroughs in the past 18 months.
Late Tuesday, Broome County executive Jason Garnar said city officials can expect a lawsuit over the dispute.
“It is clear that New York City has no intent to stop sending families to Broome County through this cynical and illegal program, so we will see them in court,” he said.
But in his letter, Banks disputed that the city was advising people where to live, citing their freedom to travel wherever they choose.
He noted that food stamps and Medicaid are largely federally-funded.
“The concern that these families could become a burden on Broome County unfortunately fuels the shocking stereotyping of the clients we are both charged to serve as social services officials,” Banks wrote to Williams.
“We are available to discuss these matters with you and your staff as we have been since you first brought this to our attention, before you chose to attack these families and a program designed to help them in your media blitz.”
The city had a near-record 60,449 people living in shelters as of March 12.
A lawyer for the county noted that the city’s own eligibility criteria for the program — rent must compromise no more than half a family’s income and officials must believe a family can earn enough to pay the rent after the yearlong subsidy expires — were not met in any of the five cases.