Department of Social Services

All newly constructed homeless shelters in New York City must now include air conditioning under a new city policy. On Tuesday, Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park announced an addendum to the agency’s request for proposals for traditional shelter sites, requiring that new facilities include air conditioning throughout, including in sleeping areas, to protect residents from the summer heat. Currently, four in 10 city shelters have no air conditioning in sleeping rooms, according to Gothamist.
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