Mayor Bill de Blasio turned up the heat in his feud with Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday, as City Hall indicated it would defy the governor’s order to sweep all homeless people off the streets in freezing weather.
Cuomo signed an executive order on Sunday calling on cities statewide to shelter all homeless — by force, if necessary — when temps fall to 32 degrees.
But a de Blasio administration official suggested city workers, including the NYPD, might not follow the edict because “courts have ruled that forcible removal is not legal.”
“Ed Koch proposed a similar policy to forcibly remove people from the streets in cold temperatures,” the official told The Post. “But the courts struck his plan down, and three mayoral administrations have complied with that ruling.”
Still, the order goes into effect Tuesday and gives the state the power to step in with troopers.
The edict allows for “the New York State Police and state agencies to take all necessary steps to identify individuals reasonably believed to be homeless . . . and move such individuals to the appropriate sheltered facilities.”
Pundits said Cuomo could be initiating a state takeover of city services.
“This opens the door to state control of the city’s social services,” said political consultant Hank Sheinkopf. “It’s a political warning and a direct shot at de Blasio. If he isn’t careful, Cuomo can use his power to take over parts of the city’s daily operation.”
The two men have been feuding since the summer, when the mayor accused the governor of being “vindictive” and “vengeful.”
More recently, Cuomo questioned Hizzoner’s ability to handle homelessness in the city, with one Cuomo source describing de Blasio as “inept.”
On Sunday, city officials shot back at Cuomo’s order, calling it illegal.
De Blasio spokeswoman Karen Hinton said the city already has the ability to remove mentally unstable people from the streets and into shelters or hospitals, but that forcing them into shelter “depends on circumstances.”
“We support the intent of the executive order, but to forcibly remove all homeless individuals in freezing weather, as the governor has ordered, will require him to pass state law,” Hinton said.
The governor’s attorney Alphonso David countered that the order “does not mandate involuntary commitment for competent individuals,” but Cuomo administration officials also noted that anyone living outside in freezing conditions could qualify as mentally unstable.
The order also directs local social service agencies to extend shelter hours so people can stay inside longer and to ensure that temporary housing is “safe.”
Cuomo took a pot shot at Hizzoner on Sunday, noting, “Homelessness is on the increase in New York City.”
“I’ve heard homeless people say we don’t want to come in even when it’s freezing because the shelter system is more dangerous than being on the street,” Cuomo told WCBS radio.
“So we have work to do on the shelter-system side to make sure that it’s safe and clean.”