Forgotten Families: NYC Files Countersuit Against Newark Over SOTA Program
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - New York City is counter-suing Newark over its recent ordinance that effectively blocked New York City's Special One-Time Assistance Program, or SOTA.
It's the latest move in the legal battle between the two cities over the program, which relocates homeless families from New York City, with NYC paying landlords a year's rent in advance in one lump sum.
#BREAKING #NYC @NYCMayor @NYCDHS files countersuit against @CityofNewarkNJ over #SOTA program that relocates homeless families; papers filed allege recent #Newark ordinance that blocks the program is unconstitutional, 34 #NYC families now can't move there this month @CBSNewYork
— Lisa Rozner (@LisaRoznerTV) December 16, 2019
CBS2 has extensively covered the program in our "Forgotten Families" series.
New York lawyers say 34 families were planning to move to New Jersey's largest city and now they can't. They call Newark's recent legislation unconstitutional, saying it's discriminatory against people with low incomes.
Some 1,200 families have already relocated there from New York City.
CBS2's reporting, which is mentioned in the countersuit, has found some of the homes they were sent to live in were uninhabitable.