WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Evictions loom for migrant families, Adams pushes change to involuntary hospitalization law, floating pool coming to East River

 

Dear New Yorkers,

Starting in October, the city began to hand migrant families with school-aged children 60-day eviction notices for their stays in city shelters.

On Tuesday, the first of those notices expire.

Thus far only adults without children have been subject to the administration’s attempts to eject migrants from shelters. In order to reapply for another stint, they must now brave long lines in the cold for hours and sleep on the floor of waiting rooms for more than a week, with limited access to food and showers.

To date, most families with children have been spared this kind of disruption. But what happens next is unclear.

Though Adams has repeatedly said his administration’s goal is for no families with children to sleep on the streets, about a third of migrant families in the city’s care have been hit with 60-day eviction notices.

Families who have nowhere else to go when their time in shelters ends will be directed to return to the Roosevelt Hotel, the city’s main intake center, to request another 60-day placement. But up through last week, those instructions still hadn’t been communicated to families directly in writing.

Ahead of the evictions, people who spoke with THE CITY described a mix of anxiety, dread, and resolve.

Among them is Joana, 38, a Venezuelan mother who asked that her last name not be used. In recent days, she’s been having hard conversations with her 8-year-old daughter about what’s in store.

“I try to explain to her as gently as I can the reality,” Joana said in Spanish. “So she can understand why we’re leaving this place, where her school bus comes to get her, where she’s lived for a year, and where she feels like it’s part of her home.”

Read more about the city’s eviction policy — and how it could affect migrant children, from disrupting school to the risk of sleeping on city streets — here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Monday’s Weather Rating: 4/10. The sun has returned! High temperatures in the low 40s with a blustery northwest wind keeping us in check throughout the day. The vibes are chilly out there!

Our Other Top Stories

As Albany legislators begin the new 2024 session, Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is pitching changes to state law that would expand the definition of who could be involuntarily hospitalized. Currently, only those who pose a threat of “serious harm” to themselves or others can be hospitalized; the bill would expand the pool to those who can’t care for themselves and also grow the pool of medical experts who can determine whether a person should be hospitalized. Adams has argued that these changes are critical for his plan to remove severely mentally ill people from the subway and streets, even if they’re not being violent. But the approach has been criticized by advocacy groups, including the NYCLU. Did you know that the MTA had plans to run new subway lines to Starrett City, the Kings Plaza mall and Queens College? The latest episode of the FAQ NYC podcast interviews Jake Berman, whose book, “The Lost Subways of North America,” is all about mass transit. Berman has compiled nearly two dozen historical portraits of cities from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. to show how the great and not-so-great mass transit systems of the U.S. and Canada came to be, and what their history tells us about America’s future.

Reporter’s Notebook

Island in the Stream: Floating Pool Coming to East River

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams on Friday said a mid-river, water-filtering, “portable” pool envisioned years ago will start tests this summer.

The idea of putting a swimming pool in the East River was first floated in 2010 by +POOL, a water-safety and -recreation focused nonprofit. Now, with $12 million from the state and $4 million from the city, the two leaders announced, the idea could soon be a reality.

If the tests pass health and safety requirements, the pool is set to be opened to the public in 2025, officials said. The funds will also go towards other swim programs.

The mayor and governor noted the floating pool will help expand swimming access across the city, which could eventually help with a persistent lifeguard shortage.

This comes after mayoral budget cuts in November sank the City Council’s plan to put more funds into programs to help teach thousands of more kids how to swim.

— Katie Honan

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Thursday, Jan. 11: New York on Film: “Do the Right Thing,” a 35th anniversary screening of the classic Spike Lee film, with an introduction by scholar Racquel Gates. Tickets are $20 ($15 for members). The event starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of the City of New York. Friday, Jan. 12: The first day of expanded Free Fridays at the Whitney Museum, which is now open for free admission from 5 to 10 p.m. every Friday. Saturday, Jan. 13: Birding with NYC Audubon. Free (RSVP encouraged) from 10 to 11:30 a.m., at both Prospect Park in Brooklyn and at Woo Sung Park in Queens.

THE KICKER: Despite flurries over the weekend, less than 1 inch of snow was recorded in Central Park — meaning that NYC officially failed to end its nearly 700-day snow drought.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Monday.

Love,

THE CITY

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