Babylon Town Thwarts Plans For Housing Homeless In Copiague Hotel

LINDENHURST, NY — Plans to house homeless men at a Copiague hotel were thwarted on Friday, after the Town of Babylon announced it would hold a spacial meeting to aim to terminate the Suffolk County plan.

In a post on social media, the Town stated it learned "by accident" that Suffolk County was moving forward with a plan to house homeless men at the South Bay Hotel located at 1159 Montauk Highway in Copiague.

"Earlier this week the Town of Babylon learned of a County proposal to turn local motels into emergency housing shelters," a post said. "This proposal would have the Town of Babylon take on 50% of the county single, homeless male population."

Councilman DuWayne Gregory noted in a previous social media post, that there is a current County policy "that shuffles convicted homeless sex offenders around the County to avoid being placed" on the registry.

"If you are a sex offender you are required to go to the local precinct and register with the registry after 7 days," the post said. "But what this policy does is move these sex offenders prior to having to register with the registry."

In response, Supervisor Rich Schaffer and the Town Board announced Friday morning it would hold a special meeting at Babylon Town Hall that afternoon in an attempt to stop the plan.

"Resolution #155 will demand that the Suffolk County Executive and Commissioner of the Department of Social Services immediately terminate any and all discussions regarding making this location a homeless shelter," the post said.

If the County tries to proceed, the Town stated it would take "any and all legal action" to prevent this location from becoming a homeless shelter, it said.

Hours later, the Town proclaimed that Suffolk County would not go ahead with the proposal, due to the backlash of responses from residents.

"We have just learned that Suffolk County will NOT be proceeding with the proposal to place a homeless shelter at the South Bay Motel, 1159 Montauk Highway in Copiague based upon the uproar that we created through our Town Officials, specifically Councilmen DuWayne Gregory and Terence McSweeney, as well as our residents," the updated post said.

The Town still held the special meeting to denounce the proposal.

Patch has reached out to the Office of the Suffolk County Executive for comment.