Joseph Hof
May 1, 2025
While the City has advanced a right to shelter, the more fundamental and often overlooked human right is the right to sleep, and any intervention that fails to offer alternatives risks perpetuating harm, not alleviating it.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, NY — May 1, 2025 — Today, Hof Law announced that it has formally submitted a proposal to the offices of New York City Council Members Julie Menin (District 5) and Diana Ayala (District 8), urging a feasibility study in to equipping NYPD officers with GPS-based mobile technology that would allow them to direct individuals experiencing homelessness to nearby open shelters, food services, restrooms, and other vital resources in real time.
As a firm with deep lived experience in this space, we know how damaging it can be when officers encounter unhoused individuals and are left with little to say beyond, "you can’t be here," said Joe Hof, Managing Attorney of Hof Law. That kind of response is not only unhelpful—it’s demeaning, inflames tensions, and doesn’t solve the problem. Officers need the tools to be able to say instead, "Here’s where you can go. Here’s what’s open right now," or words to that effect.
The proposal calls for the City to evaluate whether existing GPS-based platforms—several of which already exist—can be incorporated in to the smartphones and devices used by patrolling NYPD officers. Such tools would allow for immediate, location-based access to updated information about shelters and services, empowering officers to make referrals that are compassionate and actionable.
From being told you can’t sleep in front of the hotel that just turned you away, to being removed from church steps or public parks, we believe the more important right is not simply the right to shelter, but the right to sleep, Joe Hof stated. We urge City leadership to consider how technology can make these street-level interactions more humane and productive—for everyone.
Hof Law remains committed to pursuing practical legal reforms that uphold dignity and fairness, especially for New Yorkers facing housing insecurity.
For more information, or to speak with Hof Law, contact: Joe Hof, Managing Attorney, Hof Law, press@hoflawllc.com, Tel: +1 (917) 740-3631, hoflawllc.com