As New York City marks the third anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is rolling back protections put in place at the peak of the crisis to shield homeless people who are more vulnerable to serious complications from the virus.
The Department of Social Services is asking older homeless New Yorkers who have been residing in hotels or in private rooms in homeless shelters to reapply for their exemptions from congregate shelter settings.
As vaccines have become readily available and COVID rates have dipped, the social services agency says it's now time to end the temporary emergency policy.
“As we now have more tools than ever before readily available to protect people from COVID-19, and in keeping with the latest guidance of the public health experts, we are gradually reinstating certain standard policies to better reflect current client needs across the system and prioritize the complex health needs of some of our most vulnerable clients,” said DSS spokesperson Neha Sharma in an email.
DSS, which manages the city’s largest shelter systems, agreed in 2021 to keep people aged 70 and older in single or double rooms in shelters or hotels after homeless advocates argued that moving older adults back to group shelters would put them at higher risk of severe illness or death if they were to contract COVID-19.
And those who were 65 and older with chronic health issues, including obesity and heart conditions — as well as others with documented conditions the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified as facing higher risks for serious illness or death from COVID-19 — were also automatically given single- or double-occupancy rooms.
Homeless individuals who received COVID-related “reasonable accommodations” must submit medical and other forms of documentation to the agency, which will review them and determine whether the applicants should get their own space, according to DSS.
It’s unclear how many people would be affected by the policy change.
“We don’t have a definitive number since we are in the early stages of taking a case-by-case approach and reaching out to clients in a phased manner,” Sharma said.
Kathy Hernandez, 60, is among those who received a letter from DSS notifying her that she must reapply to continue to be able to live in a single room at a Long Island City women’s shelter.
“That concerned me a lot. I didn't wanna go back to a population living with a lot of women. I was terrified by that,” said Hernandez, who has diabetes and relies on a motorized wheelchair to get around. “And I like being by myself. I don't like to be in a crowd. I get anxiety and I get attacks. So, it’s hard for me to be around a lot of people.”
Hernandez, who has diabetes and relies on a wheelchair to get around, received a letter from the city saying she would need to reapply for her exemption.
Hernandez hopes that she’ll move into an apartment of her own before the social services agency re-evaluates her case.
“I am praying that I get the apartment. I am praying for it so bad,” she said. “But there’s always, always a letdown.”
The reapplication process is already having a chilling effect, even for those who haven’t received letters from DSS.
Capullo Simon, 68, who said he was treated for prostate cancer, is recuperating in a single room in a Manhattan hotel. He heard about the policy change and although he hasn’t gotten a notice, he’s on alert.
“Yeah, I was worried,” said Simon, who lived in three city shelters. “I didn't even know, and then when they started speaking about it, it shocked me.
While the deaths from COVID-19 are significantly lower than they were in previous years, the virus still poses a considerable threat for older adults.
Last year, people aged 65 and older accounted for 83% of the 5,810 COVID deaths in New York City, according to the CDC.
Homeless advocates argue that the rollback could endanger the lives of older residents.
“They're rolling the dice with these people's lives,” said Joshua Goldfein, a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society.
Shelly Nortz, deputy executive director for policy with the Coalition for the Homeless, said the decision by city officials has serious consequences.
“The absolute first thing that struck us was seniors aren't protected anymore,” Nortz said. “Seniors are still the people that are most likely to die from this.”
