Mayor Bill de Blasio shot back at Governor Andrew Cuomo Monday and called on his Albany counterpart to do more to curb the homeless numbers in the city.
Dani Lever, a spokeswoman for the governor, said it was “clear the mayor can’t manage the homeless crisis,” after de Blasio urged to the state to step up and provide more funding during a TV interview last week.
De Blasio called the governor’s rhetoric “political posturing” and reiterated his call on Albany during an unrelated news conference in the Upper East Side.
“It’s just as simple as that. The City of New York is doing the work. It’s time for the state to step up,” he said.
De Blasio touted his administration’s work including a $2.6 billion dollar investment in creating 15,000 homes over 15 years. He acknowledged it’s going to take a long time to solve the problem but said he’s committed to his goal.
“We’re going to go at each person — get them to housing one by one, get them to mental health services, get them to substance abuse support,” he said.
Cuomo’s office reiterated that it’s already providing $906 million in state funding for housing and homeless services and rental subsidies. Lever said more will be revealed in the state of the state address next month.
