CHENANGO COUNTY – On the heels of severe winter weather throughout much of New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all NY homeless shelters to extend hours to facilitate those without homes, ensuring that all can remain indoors while temperatures dive below freezing.

Cuomo's administration made sure that the Sunday signing of Emergency Declaration 151 was well publicized and documented as Cuomo announced the declaration through a round of television and radio interviews, and the executive order tasked to protect the homeless takes effect Tuesday.

In addition to reaching out to area shelters, Cuomo's attention was likewise directed to local police departments and social service agencies to do what they can to get individuals into shelters, including those reluctant to go.

“I direct all local social service districts, police agencies including the New York State Police, and state agencies to take all necessary steps to identify individuals reasonably believed to be homeless and unwilling or unable to find the shelter necessary for safety and health in inclement winter weather, and move such individuals to the appropriate sheltered facilities,” read the declaration.

The order recognized that most upstate communities customarily work in coordination with police agency resources and local social service providers to conduct outreach to the homeless in an effort to facilitate sheltering, and announced that ”the State will assist local social services districts if they are lacking facilities, resources or expertise.”