Former UWS Lucerne Resident Leading March On Gracie Mansion

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Shams "Da Homeless Hero" DaBaron, a former resident of the temporary Lucerne shelter on the Upper West Side and a major voice for homeless advocacy in New York City, is leading a march on Gracie Mansion Saturday to protest the mayor's "assault on homeless rights."

Mayor Bill de Blasio has lived with his family in Gracie Mansion at East End Avenue and 88th Street for the entirety of his two terms.

The "Homeless Rights March" was organized after the de Blasio administration recently decided to end the use of temporary homeless shelters across the city and move residents back into congregate shelters.

"The group will 'charge' the Mayor with reckless endangerment of homeless New Yorkers for moving them to sleep up to 20 in a room as the Delta variant surges and vaccination rates in New York’s shelter system stand at just 14%," reads a news release from the homeless advocacy group UWS Open Hearts Initiative about the march.

The news release also specifies DaBaron as the leader of the rally.

Other people and groups participating on Saturday include:

• Hawk Newsome, Co-Founder, BLM Greater NY
• Council Member and comptroller nominee Brad Lander
• Former mayoral candidate Maya Wiley
• Dem nominees for city council Crystal Hudson, Kristin Richardson Jordan, and more.

Advocacy groups: VOCAL-NY, The Safety Net Project, Neighbors Together, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, SURJ-NY, Picture the Homeless, Human.NYC, UWS Open Hearts, Housing Works, Open NY for All, helpNYC, Midtown South Community Council, NY State Council of Churches, and the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing.

The rally and march will kick off at 2 p.m. on Saturday at East End Avenue and 86th Street.