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Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson slammed the Mamdani administration’s decision to award a $1.86 billion contract for hotels across the five boroughs to provide emergency space for the homeless — calling it “insane.”
“A billion dollars to extend contracts with NYC hotels to continue housing homeless families PLUS building more permanent shelters to continue housing more homeless families is insane,” Bronx BP Vanessa Gibson said, linking to The Post’s story about the contract renewal.
“I don’t get it,” she said in a statement on X.
The Post reported Sunday that the city approved a three-year $1.86 billion contract with the Hotel Association of New York City Foundation, which represents nearly 300 hotels, to provide emergency shelter to people experiencing homelessness.
The contract runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029.
Gibson complained the city was taking too long to build housing, overall.
“We need MORE affordable and permanent housing accelerated,” the borough president said.
“These housing projects are taking too long to close. There are still outstanding housing projects in my former Council district that still haven’t closed with HPD [Department of Housing Preservation and Development],” Gibson said.
“Yet we will get a shelter quicker,” she noted. “There should be no need for more shelters. We have work to do.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday vowed to ramp up the building of additional housing to reduce reliance on shelters and hotels and curb homelessness.
“First and foremost, we know that the preeminent crisis in New York City is that of the housing crisis, and we know that the homelessness crisis is one facing that,” Mamdani said.
He made the comment during the groundbreaking for a new residence in the Hunts Point section of The Bronx that will provide 96 supportive and affordable homes with on-site services. The Doe Fund, a nonprofit focused on addressing homelessness and recidivism, will offer services.
“What makes today so exciting is that we are building not only housing that currently homeless New Yorkers, as well as those at risk of homelessness, can live in, but that we’re accompanying that housing with the kind of services that make it possible for those New Yorkers to transform their own lives,” Mamdani said.
A multi-agency task force is looking to bring more housing units online faster, he added.
The mayor’s office said 15% of new affordable housing is being set aside for homeless residents and a “homelessness blueprint” is being crafted.
Leila Bozorg, the deputy mayor for housing and planning, said, “We are increasing the funding not just for supportive housing but for all affordable housing, much of which has 15% set aside for formerly homeless New Yorkers.”
“So the plan itself is increasing exponentially the homes that will be built for formerly homeless New Yorkers,” she said.
The administration also is working on a “broader homelessness blueprint” that will be issued later this year, Bozorg said.
But city officials said hotels were still needed to provide emergency space for the homeless to maintain capacity during the transition, and comply with the city law to offer “right to shelter” to those who need it.
The city relied heavily on using hotels for emergency shelter to help curb COVID-19 outbreak during the height of the pandemic shutdown and continued to utilize the space during a migrant crisis where thousands of asylum seekers were bused into the Big Apple.
About 150 hotels, motels and inns were converted to shelters during the peak of the migrant influx.
“By exercising the renewal option of the agency’s master contract with HANYC, DHS will be able to retain critical hotel capacity, as needed, while we work to bring more traditional capacity online, reduce reliance on hotels, and rightsize our shelter footprint over the coming years,” a Department of Social Services/Homeless Services spokesperson said.
Gibson, while critical of the nearly $2 billion emergency hotels contract, welcomed the new housing development that the mayor announced in her borough on Monday.
“Congratulations to The Doe Fund, and its partners, city agencies, the finance team, and staff, for an important investment in Hunts Point. Looking forward to the ribbon cutting on time and on budget!” the borough president said.
“Thank You Mr. Mayor!”
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