Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded with President Trump on Sunday for help with the burgeoning homeless situation wreaking havoc throughout the city.
The Democrat said in an interview on Fox News that he would like the federal government to help provide assistance for low income city dwellers to rent apartments.
“The problem ultimately is Donald Trump has not shown any willingness to give us the tools we need, most especially Section 8 vouchers, which allow people to live in rental housing,” de Blasio told Ed Henry on “America’s News Headquarters.”
“The federal government needs to help us with Section 8 vouchers,” he added. “That’s the single-strongest piece we need from Washington that we are not getting right now.”
Trump on Saturday had blasted politicians in both New York and California for their “tremendous homeless problems.”
“California and New York must do something about their TREMENDOUS Homeless problems,” Trump tweeted.
“They are setting records! If their Governors can’t handle the situation, which they should be able to do very easily, they must call and ‘politely’ ask for help. Would be so easy with competence!”
According to the Coalition for the Homeless, there were 62,391 homeless people in city shelters as of September 2019.
Families make up more than two-thirds of the homeless shelter population, the advocacy organization said.