A little over a month ago, New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo gave an order to\u00a0\u00a0“compel the police, state agencies and social service providers to seek out and in some cases forcibly move homeless people to shelters when the temperature falls below 32 degrees.” \u00a0I found the article to be of particular interest, primarily because it deals with the idea of criminalizing homelessness, and using police force to try to combat the issue.<\/p>\n
The first thing that\u00a0angered me about Governer Cuomo’s claim was that he said that it was “natural human instinct” \u00a0to not want to stay outside in 32 degree weather, yet he still ordered police to move the homeless, and use force if necessary. \u00a0While getting people out of the cold should be a priority, it should also be mentioned where they are being taken to. \u00a0The shelters, as the article mentions briefly, don’t really “shelter” as much as they “endanger.” \u00a0Once inside the shelter, the homeless are more susceptible to theft and assault, and are put in a hostile environment.<\/p>\n
The one’s making the policies regarding homelessness and putting forth these orders truly don’t know what it is like to be homeless. \u00a0They probably don’t know the dangers that are present inside these shelters. \u00a0I can also believe that the Governor, city councilman, and mayors do not consult with homeless people on the streets when they make these policies. \u00a0Perhaps we should talk to the people the policy is affecting before we make the policy itself.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/01\/05\/nyregion\/questions-over-cuomos-order-on-homelessness.html?_r=0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A little over a month ago, New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo gave an order to\u00a0\u00a0“compel the police, state agencies and social service providers to seek out and in some cases forcibly move homeless people to shelters when the temperature falls below 32 degrees.” \u00a0I found the article to be of particular interest, primarily because it … Continue reading Questions Over Cuomo’s Order on Homelessness<\/span>