County secures injunction to stop NYC from sending its unhoused

State Supreme Court Justice Sandra B. Sciortino last week granted Orange County a preliminary injunction, preventing New York City Mayor Eric Adams from sending additional unhoused individuals to Orange County without complying with State Social Services law and a further order from the court.

“I would like to thank County Attorney Rick Golden and his hard-working attorneys and staff for their work and diligence in achieving this successful result,” Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus said. “This issue needs to be resolved at the State and Federal levels. They must come up with a better plan.”

The background

The situation developed in May when New York City dispatched busloads of migrants to motels in Rockland and Orange counties. Orange County declared a state of emergency to prevent the arrival migrants. Nonetheless, 186 arrived and are staying in two hotels in the Town of Newburgh.

Sciortino, who presides in Goshen, stated in her decision and order that: “The denial of a preliminary injunction will provide the City with unfettered ability to transport groups of individuals, without regard to legal and regulatory authority.”

The ruling

The judge ruled that:

The City of New York and hotels in Orange County are enjoined from transporting or receiving any further unhoused individuals from New York City to hotels within Orange County until the city complies with state law regarding the exportation of its those without homes to the county and the court agrees that the city is in compliance with state law. The only exception is the 186 individuals presently residing in two hotels in the county. Should any occupant vacate one of the hotels, no substituted unhoused persons may be transported or received.

Orange County shall be entitled to make inspections at the hotels currently housing those without homes sent to the county by New York City.

The City of New York, and not Orange County, is mandated to be responsible for all related expenses for services provided to the 186 unhoused persons previously sent to the county, including but not limited to medical, meals, laundry, security and transportation, until further order of the court. The city may not end such payments after four months as they previously represented.

New York City shall provide the county with identification information for all the 186 unhoused persons it transported to the county within five days and shall promptly notify the county of any such unhoused who vacate the hotels.