Tonight, two formerly homeless New Yorkers called the program, along with two shelter workers. It was interesting to hear the different perspectives on the issue. One worker said she believes 50 percent of 100 single adults who enter homeless shelters have another option. And, a few e-mailers who at one time attended homeless shelters say they knew of people abusing the system. That truly surprises me…do people really want to stay in a homeless shelter when they have another viable place to sleep? I guess so.

The City Council has decided to take the Bloomberg administration to court. Lawmakers voted today to authorize a lawsuit that would prevent a new homeless shelter policy from taking effect. While it’s not the first time the Council has sued the other side of City Hall, it is the first time it will do so under Speaker Quinn.

Under the policy, single adults would be turned away from the City's homeless shelters unless they can prove they have no other housing options. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeless Services decided to delay implementing the policy until a judge reviews a separate legal challenge.

Speaker Quinn has called the measure “cruel and punitive,” and says it was being imposed without enough legally required notice. But the Department of Homeless Services Commissioner says it would ensure individuals receiving shelter truly need the help.

What’s your reaction to the City Council’s decision to file a lawsuit? Will it make a difference? Why do you think Speaker Quinn is leading the fight?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

I wonder why Bloomberg does not try and pay the council members off as he did during the term limit debacle?

Brian
Stapleton, Staten Island

I was in city shelter for single women from August last year till May of this year. There was always some talk from residents that they had some place to go weekends and that is why they needed a pass out of the shelter for the weekend. I think there is some justification but it would be down right hard to prove. What criteria would the Mayor use to enforce such a law? Maybe he could use NYC or NY State Residency requirements. He would have to come up with a darn good plan.

Jeanne
Brooklyn, NY

LET ME ASK AN EMBARRASSING QUESTION. ARE THERE ENOUGH SHELTERS? PLEASE DO AN AUDIT ON THE HOMELESS PUBLIC SCHOOL KIDS THAT ATTEND CLASS EACH DAY. THAT SCENARIO IS TRULY "CRUEL AND PUNITIVE". FORGET OCCUPY WALL STREET FOR A MOMENT AND CONSIDER OCCUPY A KIDS FUTURE. HOW'S THE HOMELESS? HOUSE THE HOMELESS!

JOE, BAY TERRACE

Legally required notice- Where was Speaker Quinn and the City Council when Bloomberg decided to run for a third term? Answer: She knew Bloomberg would destroy her Mayoral chances if she opposed him then-now she is just showboating without consequence!

Chip
Formally of the upper east side

Could it possibly be that the current Mayor gave this issue to Quinn for all of her support through the years?

Peace, Nick
Hell's K.

All of a sudden Quinn is against Bloomberg. Don't be fooled, this is about her bid for mayor.

Rich
Midtown East

While I believe only truly homeless people should be able to take advantage of the City’s shelter system, how do you prove you have no other place to live? This involves a logical error. You can’t prove a negative.

Joe
Port Richmond, SI

This Christine Quinn has gone along with this Mayor with everything but now that she wants to run for Mayor she does not know where her alliance lies. This Mayor has contributed to her campaign fund and now she is feeling pressure from her Dem cronies. Any girl pregnant that is still in school gets home schooling from this administration when she can no longer work and from what I understand they have a school that has a nursery in it for the babies to be in while the mother is attending class. Now do they finance any of this from the beginning of the pregnancy? I have no idea but then when the mother becomes homeless with one child they have to prove they have no other housing options. Mind you the Bed Bug Czar is always with this Quinn and both are involved in to many projects that just don’t make any sense to me at all. They should concentrate on their districts only and not get involved in every other project. They both continue to just give away the store and anyone can do that job. They continue to spend out tax dollars and not one person from the city council is ever brought to task as to why they just spend, spend and keep spending without thinking of the end results and that usually means that we the tax payers keep paying and paying.

It’s just Ludicrous.

maxxiee
mp

How can you prove you have no other housing options? How can you prevent abuse of the system?

Damond

Why would anyone single or not want to go to a shelter unless they desperately needed to do so. Emperor Bloomberg should be suit for this policy and many others.

Felix
Bay Ridge

This morning it was mentioned on NY1 that staying in a shelter is generally the absolute last resort for a homeless man. Cruel and punitive seem to aptly apply to this Bloomberg policy. Good on ya, Christine!

Anna, Washington Heights

in these tough economic times, when tax revenues are down, it is upsetting to see one branch of government suing another. Who will be paying for that lawsuit? Really.

cordially;
bob e.

I've been in a shelter before and it isn't easy. Yes, I have seen plenty of people abuse the shelter; however, there are plenty of people that need the help. Just because you have family doesn't mean you have a place to go. Everyone has there own issues going on, so throwing these people at their families isn't going to fix the problem. DHS needs to take the time to figure out the real issues involved. Penalizing everyone isn't right, because as I said before many really need the help.

Luisa

I agree with the City. Your callers so far are being naive to think that everyone who enters the shelter system has no other option. A policy to ensure that only the truly needed get access to what is now even more limited and scarce resources in a trouble economy is a good one. The speaker is grandstanding making this non issue an opportunity for her to get on a political soap box. If only the truly needy shows up at a shelter door because they absolutely no other option then they will be served and the system will likely work closer to the intended purpose.

Andrea

Didi from Jamaica is out of her mind. Peoples lives sometimes collapse. Nobody would go to the shelter if they had a good situation to go to. Often when faced with many problems, people have the need to seperate themselves from those problems. We can't all afford the Betty Ford Clinic.

Steve

Again the duplicitous Quinn is trying to regain some of her lost popularity, but the people are on to her. She was heavily booed at an overflow town hall meeting sponsored by City Councilmember Gale Brewer when she suddenly walk in for a photo op and stepped up to the podium. She is not liked nor trusted as far as a homeless person can spit.

Gretchen
UWS

Bloomberg is once again attempting to manipulate #s regardless of how cruel his actions are. He is actively hostile towards non-wealthy ppl in NYC with the ultimate goal of completely eliminating non-millionaires frm the landscape of NYC. Here's an idea - stop eliminating affordable housing and cut back on the constant building of luxury rentals/condos.

I guess this shows how the occupy wall street movement is not working......

Katie

If you have a family member they are obligated to take you in or else you will need to sleep in the streets because you can't go to a shelter? This is an invasion of privacy. So the homeless have no rights? You can't stereotype all homeless single people.

How is a homeless person suppose to proof that they are homeless? ????

Margarita

The way the economy is the mayor should be ashamed of himself. where do poor people go lets be logical your relatives can't support your needs many have their own problems. the mayor is heartless and should leave the shelters alone

ann
staten island

This is Margaret from the East Village. I'm with the Council, and here's a practical reason. You can't prove you have no other options. You can't prove a negative!

I mean there are people who are truly homeless but there are people who move into a shelter so they can get section 8. I know people who actually have a choice a relative or a friend but choose to live in shelters to get free or low rent. People dont think about their selfish actions can ruin things for people who truly need help.

Vawnessa

It hurts single people more so than people with families. What single people dont have a need.

Anonymous

I do not live in New York City and I can imagine that Beaurocratic measures and lack of knowlegde lead to homeless people. Most governments local and county wide in New York, there are opportunities for people to get into a home. The City should be the same,

Thank you,
Steve
Malone, N.Y.

I understand why families should have priority, BUT I don't think that single adults should be excluded. It's not fair, they shouldn't be judged or asked to provide proof of other sheltering. Most of us could end up homeless due to job cuts.. MAYOR YOU NEED TO STOP THE NONSENCE-you will never be one, so please don't take the only place they have.

Thank you
Lina
East Elmhurst

This is clearly a maneuver by Christine Quinn to enhance her profile in anticipation of her mayoral run. Lord help us if she wins. It will likely return us to Dinkins-style government and plunge New York City back into the abyss it endured in the 70s and 80s.

Matt
Brooklyn

With all of the horror stories associated with the shelters I would think that if anyone has another place to sleep they would do so. This new shelter policy is just another one of Bloomberg's schemes to step on the little people and those who are not fortunate enough to have a roof over their heads. He wants to be able to brag that he reduced the shelter occupants no matter who he hurts.

Jean
Brooklyn, NY (Canarsie)

john from woodside I think you should prove that you are homeless,if you need a shelter you will get it,if you are trying to use the system,those people will be denied. I was homeless at one point and saw so many people using the system and who had a second place to go. If you need help with drugs ,then that is another story.

Speaker Quinn is trying to show New Yorkers that she is not the Mayors puppet. However, this falls into their game plan. The Mayor knows that the Council will agree with Speaker Quinn thus she looks soft on the homeless issue and the Mayor, is being tough on the issue. The people of New York, should not fall for this ruse.

Bernie
Woodside, NY

Christine Quinn. Simple she wants to be Mayor, God help us.

Carol

the mayor cannot identify with the poor/middle class,,,,I agree with the lawsuit,,,Why would anyone lie about being homeless and why would anyone want to sleep in a homeless shelter.

Ray P
queens