Around two dozen people rallied in front of the Monroe County Office Building in downtown Rochester Friday morning to protest the lockout at the Civic Center Garage, which was home to about 30 people every night.
The demonstration was organized by Sister Grace Miller from the House of Mercy.
She says she brought several homeless to shelters downtown on the night the garage was locked, but they were refused.
Miller says under Article 17 in the State Constitution, Monroe County has a legal obligation to care for its street homeless.
Her coalition is calling on the county to come up with a plan to house all the homeless, show how the county pays for overflow housing at the substandard Hotel Cadillac, and reverse the lockout at the Civic Center Garage.
Monroe County spokesman Jesse Sleezer issued a response:
“Monroe County invests nearly $5 million and contracts with 17 shelters for emergency housing placements each year, all while operating a State-leading demonstration project to help reach the chronically homeless. The County is proud of its work to improve outcomes for those affected and will continue to partner with respected local shelters and service providers moving forward.”
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