Moving vehicles and U-Haul trucks crowded the Upper West Side of Manhattan this weekend after several residents have decided to leave the area citing fears for their safety.
It what seemed like an exodus, people have decided to leave the place following the announcement that residents have planned to file a lawsuit against the city government after thousands of homeless people were housed in luxury hotels in the area.
According to Daily Mail, the move to accommodate the homeless was an attempt by the city to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the streets.
The exodus of New York. Big lines this morning at UHAUL. CATASTROPHIC setbacks in quality of life —-people have had enough. pic.twitter.com/5StqXtKWQO — Greg Kelly (@gregkellyusa) August 29, 2020
However, the decision of the government did not go well with the residents of the upscale neighborhood. The citizens have argued that there has been an increase in crime, drug use, open prostitution, public urination, and random violence in the neighborhood following the arrival of the homeless people. There have also been claims that sex offenders have made it inside their neighborhood.
Over the weekend, U-Haul stations were packed with clients who waited in long lines. Moving trucks also lined up outside residences, blocking most of the streets, as furniture was being moved out of homes. Some have also left their furniture and other belongings on the sidewalk as they sought other places to live.
Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa also stated that the 'mass evacuation' of the Upper Wast Side residents from the Big Apple in the aftermath of the decision by the city to give accommodations for recovering addicts and emotionally disturbed homeless people.
He also stated that he asked residents who we removing out on their destination and most of them stated that they were leaving the state.
The mayoral candidate also confirmed that many tenants in his building have decided to move out and only three out of the 12 units are currently occupied. He also noted that in the past week at least eight moving trucks have been seen in his block alone.
Moreover, Sliwa narrated that upon talking to several operators of the trucks, he gathered that some families were moving to South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Tennessee.
As of the moment, 139 hotels across NYC are serving as homes to more than 13,000 homeless people. These hotels included luxury hotels, The Lucerne, The Belleclaire, and The Belnord which are all located in the Upper West Side.
According to the International Business Times, the residents in the area have hired lawyers to sue the city in order to force them to move the homeless back to shelters where they can have access to the help that they need.
In a Zoom meeting held on Monday, residents, the community board, and homeless advocates convened to discuss keeping the streets safe. Around 1100 people attended the meeting.
In a statement by Randy Mastro, the attorney representing the West Side Community Organization, he said that what the city has to do is to make sure that the vulnerable population is housed in proper shelters. These shelters should be able to provide them with their needs and give them proper supervision.
According to Mastro, it is still unclear when the suit against NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city government will be filed.
