How hotels became New York’s default answer to homelessness

ProPublica and New York Focus include commentary from Elizabeth Bowen, associate professor in the School of Social Work, in an article about the increased use of hotels as emergency shelter for unhoused people across New York State over the past few years.

“It’s a makeshift arrangement that provides people a roof over their head but little else,” the article states. By contrast, shelters are required to have enough qualified staff to meet residents’ needs. The staff members generally have at least some training in how to handle populations with complex needs, Bowen said.