
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 2, 1990                   TAG: 9003022908
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

NYC TAKES STAND AGAINST HOMELESS

NEW YORK - Bench warfare has broken out in the city's subways, as the Transit Authority yanks seats from stations to force the slumbering homeless to find other accommodations.

Benches won't be taken from all stations - just those where officials say the homeless congregate, using benches as places to sleep and worse.

"These benches are not used by the general public," said Transit Authority spokesman Bob Slovak. "These are benches that have been taken over by the homeless, benches that have been defecated on, urinated on."

The effort started last week, drawing condemnations from an unusual coalition of advocates for the homeless and commuter groups.

"Moe, Larry and Curly really are running the MTA [Metropolitan Transportation Authority, of which the Transit Authority is a part]," said Keith Summa, advocacy director of the Coalition for the Homeless.

"What the Transit Authority has to do is acknowledge that homeless folks aren't going to go away unless they are helped with housing and increased rehabilitation facilities," said Joseph Rappaport, coordinator of the Straphangers Campaign, a commuter group.

Transit Authority officials insist that they are not persecuting the homeless; they point to programs they have launched to persuade homeless people - estimated at 2,500 by the authority and at 4,000 to 5,000 by advocates for the homeless - to find shelter elsewhere.

by CNB