Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Bloomberg Administration's New Policy Freezes Out Homeless Families
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 17, 2013
Modified Feb 17, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 17, 2013
Modified Feb 17, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Days after a court ruled against the Bloomberg administration's policy of denying the homeless a place to sleep in city shelters, the Daily News reports that the city has also been turning away families with nowhere else to go when the temperature has dipped below freezing. "They tried to send us outside into the cold,” 23-year-old Junior Clarke told the paper of his family's ordeal in attempting to stay at the Bronx PATH Center last month. "They threatened to have us thrown out by the police."
Traditionally the city has given shelter to anyone during a "code blue" situation—when temperatures are below freezing—but homeless advocates now say that people who use the shelters more than once are being turned away. Patrick Markee, a senior policy analyst for Coalition for the Homeless, tells the paper that after repeatedly dodging the issue, the city eventually admitted that they changed the policy last year. “The fact that city officials refuse to admit they changed their ‘code blue’ policy for families seeking shelter only underlines how misguided and dangerous it is to turn children and parents into the streets on freezing cold nights,” Markee said.
The report pointedly criticizes the city's Department of Homeless Services, noting that its spokeswoman, Barbara Brancaccio, refused to answer questions about the policy change or make the Commissioner, Seth Diamond, available for an interview. She emailed only this statement:
For reapplications, we take into account weather conditions, and we work to ensure that applicants who have alternate living situations do not take up beds that are needed by those who truly have no recourse.
Clarke, his wife, and their four-year-old daughter sought help from Legal Aid representatives, who convinced workers at the PATH Center to take them in anyway. A paralegal for the organization, Christina Schrum-Herrera, said, “How many families did we not intervene for? “There are a lot more families who weren’t placed because the city no longer has the code blue policy.”
But besides a burgeoning homeless population, the State of the City is strong! Read our report about the mass graves where many homeless end up when they die, here.
Tagged
bloomberg
cold
cruelty
department of homeless services
freezing
homeless
homelessness
state of the city
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot by ICE in NYC still has bullet lodged in neck, attorneys say
Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park on Monday.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 12, 2026 at 11:37 a.m. ET
NY measles spread prompts 'disaster' emergency. It didn't have to be this way, health commissioner says.
The state health commissioner says the disease outbreak is wholly preventable.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
News
NY measles spread prompts 'disaster' emergency. It didn't have to be this way, health commissioner says.
The state health commissioner says the disease outbreak is wholly preventable.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
NYC wants to move deliveries onto the waterways. It's starting with a 55-year-old boat.
By
Liam Quigley
Inside the luxury Greenpoint high-rise powered by a rumbling generator for over a month
By
David Brand
Mayor Mamdani orders review of NYPD use of force policies
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .