Ban Homeless On Subways Amid Coronavirus, Central Park Group Says

CENTRAL PARK, MANHATTAN — An outspoken Manhattan group that has called on President Donald Trump to close down the subway during the coronavirus pandemic are now asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo to ban homeless from the train cars.

Central Park Civic Association, led by Michael Fischer, said Wednesday that homeless New Yorkers should be banned from the subway during the COVID-19 pandemic to help prevent the spread of the virus.

The call comes after Cuomo himself asked the MTA to ramp up cleaning efforts after he called reports of apparently homeless New Yorkers sleeping in trains, "disgusting.

“The health, safety, and wellbeing of the residents of New York is at risk due to the number of homeless that are invading our subway by the thousands," Fischer said. "I would rather see New Yorkers walk a mile than contract this virus and be on their death bed."

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Fischer, who calls himself an advocate for the fairer treatment of New York City's homeless, has previously made headlines for calling for a complete shutdown of the subway system during the pandemic.

The idea was quickly slammed by MTA officials, who have kept the subway running on an "Essential Service" schedule to help essential workers move throughout the city.

"Dumb idea last week, dumb idea this week," MTA spokesperson Abbey Collins said about Fischer's idea last week. "We’re moving the heroes on the frontlines of this crisis who are saving lives."

Mayor Bill de Blasio, the MTA and Cuomo have gone back-and-forth this week about the best way to keep New York City's subway cars clean during the pandemic.

Cuomo called on the MTA — currently facing a 90 percent drop in ridership and a $8.5 billion budget crisis — to create a plan to triple their subway car cleanings. On Thursday, he announced that the MTA would stop running subways for several hours at night to clean them.

Advocates and elected officials, however, have blasted the mayor, governor and NYPD's policing of the subways, contending that forcing homeless New Yorkers out will only exacerbate health and safety problems. They repeated the call for empty hotel rooms to be offered to homeless New Yorkers during the COVID-19 crisis.

"Homeless people need somewhere to go, but the shelters are overcrowded and unsafe, now there are massive police sweeps that solve nothing, and meanwhile we have literally tens of thousands of empty hotel rooms that could serve as safe shelter," Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou said.

Advocates highlighted that during their #HomelessCantStayHome campaign, when people sleeping on the streets or subways were offered a private hotel room, all of them said yes.

They said the mayor is under the false impression that homeless refuse service because of mental health challenges, when in fact it is because they fear the "dorm-style" shelter that providers are authorized to offer.

“I already have respiratory issues and I can’t afford to go inside of places with people. I can’t risk someone else contracting COVID-19 and it spreading to me," said Anthony Williams, a homeless New Yorker and 9/11 first responder who said he has been living on the streets. "I’ve been riding the subways, and now the police are throwing us off and sending us into the rain. I’m crying out for help.”

Cuomo made headlines Tuesday when he held up the front page of the Daily News — showing a sleeping homeless person on a New York City train — and said, "That is disgusting what is happening on those subway cars."

The governor softened those sentiments Wednesday, noting his concern also included the health of homeless New Yorkers.

"You're not doing homeless people any favors," Cuomo. said "Letting them endanger their lives and endanger the lives of others isn't helping anyone."

Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday the city would increase its homeless outreach efforts in subways, provide 200 more shelter beds, and asked the MTA to temporarily shutter 10 end-of-line stations for "enhanced sanitization" of subway cars.

But Sarah Feinberg, the New York City Transit interim president, suggested de Blasio's plan would not meet an increasing need for cleanings.

"Frankly we've been asking for this help for months and months," Feinberg said. "I'm angry, I'm incredibly frustrated."

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This piece was updated Thursday with comments from homeless advocates and elected officials. Advocates initially did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday when it was first published.