The New York Times responded to Bishop Sanchez’s statement on homelessness in New York City:
New York City is asking religious leaders to help overcome community resistance to new homeless shelters after a series of testy confrontations in neighborhoods where they are being placed.
More than 54,000 people are currently homeless in the city, and with space tight, the city has been opening new shelters at a rapid clip, in some cases stirring controversy. In recent weeks, 500 people turned out in Elmhurst, Queens, to protest the opening of a shelter for families in the former Pan American Hotel on Queens Boulevard. Hundreds attended a town-hall-style meeting to object to the opening of another shelter for families in East Elmhurst. And members of a community board in Glendale threatened to sue to stop the city from opening a shelter in their neighborhood.