Hell's Kitchen Seniors May Lose Homes In Building Sale: Pols

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — Politicians urged owners of an affordable senior housing development in Hell's Kitchen not to sell their property after reports that a building sale could force dozens of seniors out of their homes.

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and other local politicians sent a letter to Homes for the Homeless demanding that the organization hold a meeting with tenants of the Riverview Senior Independent Living on West 49th Street and 10th Avenue. Homes for the Homeless circulated a memo to building residents on Dec. 3 stating that Riverview would close in early 2020 to facilitate a building sale.

"Presenting senior citizens, one of whom is a 99-year old holocaust survivor, with a vague and frightening update about the future of their homes, especially during the holiday season, is indefensible," the letter reads.

Politicians wrote that Homes for the Homeless should be obligated to give Riverview tenants more time to find new housing and discuss alternatives to a sale. The organization has already agreed to meet with Johnson and other elected officials such as Congressmember Jerry Nadler, Borough President Gale Brewer, State Senator Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, according to a spokesperson for the council speaker.

Nonprofit publication THE CITY first reported on the plan to put Riverview on the market. A spokesperson for the nonprofit told the publication that Homes for the Homeless has not set a firm move-out date for tenants, and that the building has been operating at a loss since opening two years ago. The nonprofit has struggled to fill the building — an oddity considering the desperate need for senior housing in New York City — and just a third of its units are currently occupied, according to the report.

The Riverview Senior Independent Living offers studios and one-bedroom apartments with private bathrooms and kitchenettes. Some of the building's units even come with balconies. Building staff cleans rooms each morning and washes and changes lines once per week, according to the development's website. Other services offered to residents include three home-cooked meals each day, free washers and dryers in the building, visiting health care service, 24-hour security and organizer social programming.

Read the full letter below: