Source – NBC New York

The chief spokesperson for New York City’s Department of Homeless Services was fired Friday after pushing back against alleged lies and omissions by her boss regarding illegal conditions in the city’s homeless shelter system, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Email and text messages provided to the News 4 I-Team suggest that the Deputy Commissioner for Public Information Julia Savel had resisted efforts by Social Services Commissioner Gary Jenkins to conceal crowded conditions in the city’s homeless shelter system from his superiors at City Hall, from the media and from the public.

In one text message dated July 20, Savel indicated to a City Hall spokeswoman that she was planning to inquire about moving to a different agency, saying “Just can’t work for a commish who is ok with covering up something illegal.”

Staff at the Department of Homeless Services say they learned on July 18 that families with children had been forced to stay overnight in the city’s homeless intake office in the Bronx, known as PATH  — a practice that is prohibited under a 2008 court settlement between the City and the Legal Aid Society, which represents people living in shelter.

The text messages imply that Savel gave City Hall a heads up the next day, on July 19. That same day, Mayor Adams announced NYC needed federal funding to help with a surge of 2,800 asylum seekers who had entered the shelter system in recent weeks. But the mayor did not specifically mention any legal violations or families sleeping in the intake office.

Later that week Adams said he did not learn the city had violated its “right to shelter mandate” until July 21. 

Several sources tell News 4 that staff at the Department of Social Services, including the agency’s legal team, were angry after being instructed to hold off on telling City Hall, and not promptly notify the Legal Aid Society, as has been

City officials admit there was a delay in disclosing the violations, but they say top officials at the Department of Social Services including the Commissioner were unaware that they are legally obligated not to house families overnight in their intake office. This, despite the fact that a report is sent out each morning at 4am to notify social services managers of any violations. 

News 4 has repeatedly requested a copies of those recent reports but the city has not provided them.

past protocol.

The mayor’s office, in a statement, said the city continued to abide by both the letter and spirit of the law.

“Last month, we confirmed that we did not meet that mandate for a handful of families by the required time on one evening. Once we realized all of our legal obligations, we informed the proper parties. To make slanderous accusations when we have spent nearly three months providing shelter to almost 5,000 asylum seekers, in addition to thousands of other New Yorkers, who have entered our shelter system is not only disappointing but a slap in the face to the thousands of DSS employees who work diligently every day to support those most in need,” mayoral spokesman Fabien Levy said in a statement.

In New York City’s homeless shelters, migrant families have not received the proper help, which could violate a 2008 court settlement that requires the provision of proper shelter in the city. Melissa Russo reports.

Screenshots of text messages…