CB 12 expresses frustrations with DHS about shelter
BY JASON COHEN
Once again a shelter was
placed into Community Board
12 without the residents’
knowledge. While the NYC
Department of Homeless Services
(DHS) claims it is temporary
because of COVID-19, CB
12 does not believe them.
On May 28, the board held
a meeting where elected offi -
cials, residents and members
vented about the shelter at
4747 Bronx Blvd.
It appears DHS reneged on
a promise to not turn the location
into a homeless shelter,
without so much as an email
to local stakeholders.
In 2016, the city nixed plans
to build a shelter for people
with HIV after outcries from
the public. However, according
to Community Board 12
District Manager George Torres,
a temporary shelter housing
150 men in a 92-room hotel
opened up in that location on
May 20.
According to Torres, CB
12 has four shelters and it was
recently targeted for two additional
200 bed shelters — one
at East 233rd Street and the
other at Furman Avenue.
CB 12 1st Vice Chairman
Dr. Lagree Burke said the
community is furious that another
shelter was dumped on
them.
“This is something I’m not
happy about,” he said. “It’s
something elected offi cials
are not happy about. You guys
have had your eyes on this for
a number of years. It would appear
COVID-19 was the perfect
time to move these guys in.”
Burke told the board how
he went by the shelter last
weekend and there were residents
outside without masks
and no security out front.
Torres feels this is another
sign of mistrust from DHS.
DHS is supposed to give them
65 days notice of a new shelter
and there was no letter given
for 4747 Bronx Blvd., Furman
Ave. or 233rd Street.
He noted when he contacted
DHS they said they could not
reveal the address of the location
because of privacy laws.
“You’re asking us to trust
that this is a temporary situation,”
Torres said. “You have
already broken your word one
time before.”
Nicole Jordan, Bronx borough
commissioner of DHS,
said that she did her best to
answer a barrage of questions.
She explained that in effort to
get all homeless people off the
streets or relocated from tight,
close-knit shelters, DHS has
moved 10,000 people during
COVID-19 to hotel sites.
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Jordan told the board no
notice was given because people
are being moved quickly
due to COVID-19.
She said there is security
on site, a 10 p.m. curfew and
that residents are required to
wear masks While she said
that there is no timeline on
how long it will be there, she
stressed that the situation is
temporary.
“Right now we’re doing
things at a rapid pace,” she
said. “I do understand the concerns.”
Her responses didn’t seem
to ease anyone’s minds.
Frank Sotomayor lives
next to 4747 Bronx Blvd. and
is furious with what has taken
place. He has seen residents
drinking liquor in the street,
smoking pot, panhandling
and defecating.
He questioned why they
couldn’t put senior of affordable
housing in that location.
“It’s disgusting. I don’t
The shelter at 4747 Bronx Blvd Photo by Miriam Quinones
know what kind of people
they’re putting in there,” he
said. “It’s shameful on the city
to do something like this.”
Elected offi cials Councilman
Andrew Cohen and Assemblyman
Jeffrey Dinowitz
voiced their discontent with
DHS.
After fi ghting a few years
ago to not have this shelter, the
duo didn’t understand what
occurred. Cohen said that if
the Mueller Center nearby
was turned into senior housing
why DHS could not do the
same for this location.
“I’m heartbroken and frustrated
that we’re in this position,”
Cohen said. “I’m going
to hold DHS’ feet to the fi re. We
feel that Wakefi eld does more
than its fair share. It’s just not
acceptable.”
Dinowitz said he knows
why DHS moved people into
the makeshift shelter, but
doesn’t comprehend why it’s
in CB 12.
“I understand the bind the
city is in,” he said. “I certainly
feel for the people that are moving
into Bronx Boulevard. We
were given a commitment and
I thought the site would not be
used for a homeless shelter. I
can’t believe there aren’t any
alternatives.”
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