UWS Kids Celebrate Holidays w/ Homeless Neighbors @ the Lucerne

Urge Mayor to let them stay!

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NEW YORK, NY (12/14/2020) (readMedia)-- As the Mayor continues to insist that displacing 190 men from the Lucerne shelter in the middle of the pandemic is in their best interest, despite their repeated claims to the contrary, UWS kids joined their homeless neighbors to celebrate the holidays. Last week, a judge granted the men of the Lucerne a stay order until the court can hear their appeal. Then on Monday, 22 former senior officials and aides in the de Blasio administration -- including former Deputy Mayors Alicia Glen and Richard Beury, as well as former DOH Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett -- wrote an open letter to the Mayor urging him to allow the men to remain at the Lucerne.

"I want to make an ornament and bring Chanukah candy to my friends at the Lucerne. The mayor should be nice to my friends at the Lucerne otherwise Santa won't give him presents." Phoenix, age 4.

"The people at the Lucerne have been very nice, and I don't understand why people think they're dangerous." Lydia, age 8.

"Most of the people who don't like homeless people keep saying, like, 'they're hurting our children!' But then, when actual children come, the children aren't scared of the homeless person. It's really just a poor slash lazy excuse for saying 'get these people out of our properties right now.'" Jude, age 8.

"I'm here to give people chocolate coins at the hotel, and also eat chocolate coins!" Kai, age 3.

"It might not work, and they might get moved regardless, but I want them to know that there are people trying to help them. I think that since there are people fighting for them, I'm 89% sure that things are going to get better for them." Brielle, age 11.

"Once you talk and meet them, they're a regular human being! They're not a monster, they're not a vampire, they're just people!" Jasper, age 9

"Homeless people are still people--there's nothing different than us and them, other than they don't have a home!" Ariana, age 9

Upper West Side kids lit a Chanukah menorah, trimmed a Christmas tree, and chalked the 7 principles of Kwanzaa on the sidewalk with their neighbors. The Christmas tree, with handmade ornaments, tinsel, and candy canes, was left to light the Lucerne lobby.

"Since being on the Upper West Side, I've learned more about Jewish traditions, and so I'm excited to celebrate Chanukah with our neighbors," said Shams, aka Da Homeless Hero.

"I am so honored to participate in this event that includes Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas traditions, stewarded by children of the Upper West Side, for the residents of the Lucerne. Most importantly, it shows how neighborly love and the strength of community support is what truly brings light in the dark days of winter," said Rabbi Mia Simring.

Background:

In late July, clients of Project Renewal were placed at the Lucene after being transferred from another hotel in Midtown. The hotel placements were part of a de-densification plan that saved lives during COVID, but left some 5,500 New Yorkers behind in congregate shelters.

Soon after the move, Bill de Blasio caved to a group of Upper West Siders who started a racist facebook group and raised $150,000 to hire former Giuliani deputy Randy Mastro to kick Project Renewal shelter residents out of the Lucerne. The eviction was initially announced September 9th, with a plan to displace disabled adult families at Harmonia shelter and transfer Lucerne residents in. After widespread outcry, the mayor announced the Harmonia residents would remain, but Lucerne residents would still be displaced, this time to the Radisson, a former COVID isolation site. The Mayor's decision to move the shelter has emboldened NIMBYs across New York City to privately fundraise ever-growing sums to keep shelters out of their neighborhoods.

A NY1/Ipsos poll from October found that sixty-two percent of New Yorkers support housing people currently homeless in their neighborhoods.

Dozens of elected officials and candidates have stood with the men of the Lucerne, including Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, former Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger, Senators Brian Benjamin, Robert Jackson, Jose Serrano, and Brad Hoylman, AMs Linda Rosenthal, Yuh-Line Niou, and Dick Gottfried, every candidate for Manhattan Borough President, CMs Helen Rosenthal, Ben Kallos, Carlina Rivera, Brad Lander, Steve Levin, Keith Powers, and Mark Levine, Comptroller Scott Stringer, Mayoral candidate Maya Wiley, Mayoral candidate Shaun Donovan, Mayoral candidate Dianne Morales, Cynthia Nixon, Zephyr Teachout, and others.