New York, May 4 (RHC)-- New York City transit officials are teaming up with the NYPD to force unhoused people from the subway system.  Under a new policy, people will not be allowed to remain in a subway station for more than an hour, and will be removed from trains that reach the end of a subway line. 

On Tuesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo attacked unhoused people for sheltering in subway cars.  Cuomo said: “That is disgusting, what is happening on those subway cars.  It’s disrespectful to the essential workers who need to ride the subway system.”

The Coalition for the Homeless responded: “More policing won’t stop homeless individuals from taking refuge in the subways because it doesn’t address what people actually need: safe, private space so they can take the advice of health officials to maintain social distance.  The City could open up thousands of hotel rooms and offer every single person on the subway access to them, if only Mayor de Blasio had the political will.” 

New York Governor Cuomo has repeatedly rejected the idea of raising taxes on wealthy New Yorkers to pay for services for the unhoused.