Determined to prove she’s not the mayor’s lackey, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn plans to ask lawmakers to authorize a lawsuit against the Bloomberg administration’s new policy for the homeless.
“We are going to do everything in our power to try and prevent its implementation,” Quinn told reporters Monday.
The city Homeless Services Department announced this month the controversial policy that requires single adults seeking to stay in a shelter to prove they have nowhere else to stay.
The Council contends the city failed to formally notify its members and the public before moving to implement the policy. The Legal Aid Society sued, arguing the policy violates the city’s obligation to provide shelter to anyone who seeks it.
The city postponed implementation until the suit is resolved. “We think it’s a fair policy,” said Homeless Services Commissioner Seth Diamond.
Political experts say Quinn (D-Manhattan), a mayoral hopeful, has been trying to shake criticism that she always supports Bloomberg’s proposals. But Quinn said this isn’t about political posturing.
“It says nothing about my relationship with the mayor,” she insisted. “We have an issue where the mayor and his administration and I disagree.”
