Islip Town Launches Investigation Into Bay Shore Homeless Shelter

BAY SHORE, NY — The Town of Islip said that Suffolk County never communicated that a local motel was converted into a homeless shelter in August, and will launch an investigation.

Supervisor Angie Carpenter said that the town will probe plans to turn the former Travel Lodge, located on Montauk Highway in Bay Shore, into a homeless shelter, after receiving no notifications from the county, a social media post said.

Numerous violations have been found, she said.

"Upon being made aware of this situation by the concerned residents, we immediately sent in our Office of Fire Prevention to investigate," Carpenter said. "Numerous violations were found, and all appropriate violations have been issued, and we continue to monitor."

She also said the town was aware of the plans after receiving concerns from several community members.

"We are unequivocally opposed to the County’s unilateral decision to operate this shelter in a residential neighborhood without any concern for the community," said Carpenter. "We will be looking into any and all legal actions the Town can take to remedy this situation."

Due to the increasing demand for emergency housing, the Department opened the shelter in August 2023. The Suffolk County Shelter system is currently at 94 percent capacity, the Suffolk County Department of Social Services said.

Between 2021 and 2022, the county's shelter population increased 35 percent, and it is currently 5 percent higher than it was at the end of 2022.

The county said it has made a priority to ensure it does not disproportionately place homeless shelters within any one community or township.

As for the town of Islip, the homeless population sheltered within the town is proportional to Islip's population in relation to the overall county population, the department said.

"The Suffolk County Department of Social Services is committed to ensuring safe and stable shelter for those facing an emergency," the department said in a comment to Patch. "Following the expiration of COVID-19 benefits, the Department has seen an increase in families and individuals seeking assistance and has worked to ensure placement to immediately address their current homeless status. "

The Department said it will continue to work with community partners to address any concerns.