DHS plans to bring 75-bed senior women’s shelter to Douglaston
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | JAN. 8-JAN. 14, 2021 9
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Three northeast Queens lawmakers
on Tuesday, Dec. 29, revealed that
the city’s Department of Homeless Services
(DHS) is planning to open a new
homeless shelter for senior women in
Douglaston.
In a joint statement, Senator John
Liu, Assembly Edward Braunstein and
Councilman Paul Vallone said that the
shelter at 243-02 Northern Blvd. would
service 75 senior adult women with
services provided by the nonprofit Samaritan
Village. A spokesperson from
Vallone’s office confirmed that the
shelter would be at the former location
of Pride of Judea Community Services
and will open in late 2021.
The lawmakers said they received
word of the new development on
Wednesday, Dec. 23, but criticized DHS
for its lack of community engagement
prior to establishing the shelter. Patch
reported that prior to the lawmaker’s
pushback, the shelter was originally
meant for single men.
“After voicing our collective concerns
with DHS, today we received
confirmation of a revised plan for the
location: a 75-bed, senior women’s-only
shelter,” the lawmakers said in a statement.
“While we believe this is a better
outcome for the community at large, we
are still disappointed to see DHS adopt
policies where key decisions are made
without ever engaging local stakeholders
and community members. In
the coming months, an open dialogue
and our continued coordination will
ensure that DHS listens and properly
responds to any and all of the community’s
needs and concerns during
all stages of the process. As additional
information is shared with us, we will
share it with the community.”
According to the agency, Community
District 19 currently has no
shelters in place to house those experiencing
homelessness in the district.
Additionally, after sending “multiple
annual letters” to communities and
community boards across the city, and
also to elected officials since launching
Mayor de Blasio’s Turning the Tide
plan, a DHS spokesperson told QNS
that the agency has not received any
community feedback or responses for
consideration.
“Today, there are no shelters in this
Community District, which means
there is no way to offer shelter services
and supports in this community
to New Yorkers from this community
who may experience homelessness,”
a DHS spokesperson told QNS. “This
new high-quality facility will be the
first traditional shelter in this Community
District, offering 75 senior
women experiencing homelessness the
opportunity to get back on their feet
safely and closer to their anchors of
life, like jobs, healthcare, family and
houses of worship. Working together
with neighbors and not-for-profit service
provider Samaritan Village, we’re
confident that these New Yorkers will
be warmly welcomed — and through
collaborative support and compassion,
we will make this the best experience
it can be for all.”
In a letter to Councilman Vallone,
the Department of Social Services
(DSS) said that following the establishment
of the shelter, smaller cluster
sites and commercial hotel locations
would close in accordance with Turn
the Tide.
“Our goal is to guarantee that our
facilities are seamlessly integrated
into each community, so that our shelters
are good neighbors and our clients
receive a warm welcome,” DSS said in
the letter. “We encourage community
members to partner with us by volunteering
time and talents and/or joining
the Community Advisory Board (CAB)
which will be created for each new site
to facilitate open dialogue and address
concerns, should they arise. We would
greatly appreciate your recommendations
for community members you
believe would be essential voices for
this CAB.”
Reach reporter Jenna Bagcal by
e-mail at jbagcal@qns.com or by phone
at (718) 260-2583.
Photo via Google Maps
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