Men's Shelter Plan For WaHi Rejected By Community Board

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — The community board representing Washington Heights voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to reject a city plan to open a homeless shelter for 175 men in the neighborhood.

The board's resolution opposes the city's plans for a new shelter at 286 Audubon Ave., located between West 179th and 180th streets, on the basis of its location, population and concerns regarding HELP USA, the chosen operator of the new shelters. Several community board members said they would open to accepting a shelter for families and children rather than one for single adult men in a location that is not in close proximity to schools and other shelters.

The resolution passed by a vote of 25 in support and five opposed with three abstentions.

Board members who voted to support the planned shelter said that the city Department of Homeless Services' approach to opening the shelter was "not ideal," but that the city's homelessness crisis is too dire to oppose new services for the homeless.

"A homeless shelter is not without difficulties and potential problems for the surrounding community, but homelessness is a huge problem in this community," CB12 member Elizabeth Ritter said during Tuesday night's meeting. "I do not appreciate the way DHS failed to work with the community and reach out to the community, but I do not oppose this project. I believe we need to be doing more for the homeless, not less."

The city is building up to 90 new shelters in neighborhoods across the city as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's "Turning the Tide" homelessness initiative, which was launched in 2017.. As of April 23, the city's shelter population is an estimated 58,586, according to DHS statistics. Of the population, 37,712 are adults and 20,874 are children. There are 12,119 single adult men in the shelter system, according to city statistics.

The city does not need permission from Community Board 12 to continue construction of the shelter.

Local elected officials and Community Board 12 were notified of the Audubon Avenue shelter's planned opening in February. The new shelter will be run by the nonprofit HELP USA, which will offer residents services such as case management, counseling, housing placement and life skills workshops.

The vast majority of Washington Heights residents who spoke during an April 11 public hearing on the homeless shelter voiced concerns regarding the city's plan.

Residents who live near the shelter site raised safety concerns about adding 175 homeless men to the area. Maria Flores, who lives right across the street from the Audubon Avenue site, said she wouldn't feel comfortable letting her 15-year-old daughter leave home alone.

"They're not only going to bring the shelter, they're going to bring 175 men," Flores said during the April 11 hearing. "Single men that are going to be harassing our girls, harassing our neighbors, disrespecting us all day... we don't know what background they have, we don't know who these people are."

Read more about neighborhood concerns to the shelter here.

City officials have stated in previous meetings that the shelter may open as soon as July, but said Thursday the opening may occur in either the summer or fall.