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Komatireddy pushes accountability plan for New York shelters
Saritha Komatireddy accused New York State Attorney General Letitia James of dereliction of duty.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Mon, 27, Apr 2026
- 05:01 EDT
- 40
Saritha Komatireddy / Saritha Komatireddy via LinkedIn
Republican New York State attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy, in her latest campaign announcement, has vowed to audit and investigate every homeless shelter in New York state, in an attempt to solve the homelessness crisis in the state.
“Homeless Americans are dying on the streets of New York. More than 20 this year alone. It is heartbreaking, and it should not happen in this state. The attorney general has a unique ability to take on this problem. As attorney general, I will,” Komatireddy announced.
The Republican alleged that even though nearly all homeless shelters are run by nonprofits and the attorney general’s office is supposed to regulate the nonprofits through the attorney general’s Charities Bureau, the sitting attorney general Letitia James is not sufficiently overseeing their functions.
Accusing James of lapses, she continued, “We are spending millions in taxpayer dollars on homeless services each year, and we have more homeless New Yorkers. Both the city and the state comptrollers have flagged this as a major accountability problem. But the attorney general has done nothing. It is a dereliction of duty.”
Komatireddy, in her announcement, decried the present condition of homeless shelters and noted that they have turned into “hubs for drugs and crime.”
Claiming that these shelters are not safe or effective, she added, “We have the resources and the ability to solve this problem. What we need is the will.”
The allegations came days after her Republican peer and New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman opposed the 150-bed men’s shelter under construction in the middle of a residential and commercial corridor surrounded by senior centers and schools in Bensonhurst. The protesters also argued that the homeless shelter in a residential area would attract trouble.
Komatireddy, proposing an alternate solution, noted, “The attorney general is the primary regulator of homeless shelters in the state. As attorney general, I will take on these shelter providers to ensure they are providing shelters that are safe and effective.”
She added, “I will prosecute crime in and around homeless shelters to ensure they are safe for the residents and the surrounding community, and I will audit and investigate every homeless shelter to ensure it is effective in giving vulnerable New Yorkers the help they need to transition to stable housing and a normal life.”
As part of her three-pronged plan to tackle the issue, she pledged a statewide Day One Shelter Audit and Investigation to examine public safety outcomes, the condition of the shelters, and the impact the existing shelters have by measuring transition to permanent housing, employment, etc.
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