Council hearing explored emergency sheltering process and conditions and services in evacuation and transitional shelters during and after Hurricane Sandy<\/p>\n
City Hall, NY \u2014 Today, the Council Committees on General Welfare, Oversight and Investigations, Aging, Health and Mental Health held an oversight hearing to examine the City\u2019s use of evacuation shelters and hotels to temporarily house those displaced by Hurricane Sandy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThousands of New Yorkers were displaced when Hurricane Sandy made landfall in our City,\u201d said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. \u201cToday\u2019s hearing is an opportunity to examine how the City\u2019s emergency evacuation and transitional shelters performed during and after the storm and how we can better prepare for the next emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHurricane Sandy displaced thousands of New Yorkers and left billions of dollars in damages in its wake,\u201d said General Welfare Committee Chair Annabel Palma. \u201cToday\u2019s oversight hearing will evaluate the City\u2019s use of evacuation shelters and hotels to temporarily house storm evacuees and is an opportunity to determine what went right and what can the City can do better to best prepare for future emergencies.\u201d <\/p>\n
At today\u2019s hearing, Council Members raised concerns about inadequate supplies and food in evacuation shelters following the storm. The Council also examined the treatment of populations with special medical needs at evacuation shelters, as well as FEMA\u2019s and the City\u2019s use of hotels as transitional shelters for evacuees in the weeks and months since Hurricane Sandy.<\/p>\n
Specifically, the Council focused on:
\n\u2022 Shelter Conditions, Supplies and Staffing
\nSome evacuation shelters were reportedly overcrowded and did not have adequate supplies and basic necessities such as cribs, food, and blankets. Additionally, it is unclear how the City coordinated the distribution of supplies to shelters, or who from the City was managing certain shelters.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Challenges Facing Populations with Special Needs
\nThe Council explored the preparations the City took to prepare evacuation shelters for populations such as the elderly, medically frail, or people with disabilities. Council Members heard from shelter volunteers and advocates who testified that some shelters were inaccessible and medical records did not transfer properly, making appropriate medical treatment difficult.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Difficulties with Using Hotels as Transitional Shelters
\nApproximately 2,200 households are currently being temporarily housed in hotels through the FEMA\u2019s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program. Additionally, over a thousand storm evacuees have been housed in hotels through the Department of Homeless Services. The Council examined the use of hotels as transitional housing for storm evacuees and explored the challenges New Yorkers have faced in City-run shelters, including unsafe housing conditions and inadequate access to food.
\nThe Council also heard from advocates for the homeless, legal service organizations and shelter volunteers who shared their experiences in evacuation shelters and hotels in the weeks following the storm.
\nToday\u2019s hearing was the fifth in a series of oversight hearings the Council will hold in the coming weeks to examine the City\u2019s response to Hurricane Sandy.<\/p>\n
###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Council hearing explored emergency sheltering process and conditions and services in evacuation and transitional shelters during and after Hurricane Sandy<\/p>\n
City Hall, NY \u2014 Today, the Council Committees on General Welfare, Oversight and Investigations, Aging, Health and Mental Health held an oversight hearing to examine the City\u2019s use of evacuation shelters and hotels to temporarily house those displaced by Hurricane Sandy.<\/p>\n
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