BY ALIYA SCHNEIDER
Opposition to a shelter
planned for 130 single men at
6661-6667 Broadway in North
Riverdale continues, while
the city Department of Social
Services (DSS) moves forward
with the plan.
The site, across from Van
Courtlandt Park, contains
a handful of active storefronts.
The African American
Planning Commission,
Inc., (AAPCI) a Brooklyn
non-profi t selected to run the
shelter plans to teear down
the building and build a new
facility housing 4-6 men to
a room with on-site services
and 24-7 security.
The contract between the
city Services and AAPCI
would last more than 30 years
and is for more than $195 million.
The price tag is $4.4 million,
according to Community
Board 8 Chairwoman Laura
Spalter, who questioned the
amount.
“Our provider is building a
ground-up, purpose-built development
with the intention
of sheltering individuals in
mind, not shoehorning a program
into an already existing
building,” DSS Deputy Commissioner
Erin Drinkwater
said on Tuesday in defense of
the plan.
The proposed shelter has
gotten fi erce pushback from
local residents, with concerns
both about the suitability of
the shelter for the residents
— like its distance to medical
services and the subway
— and the impact on the surrounding
residential community
— like storefronts being
torn down and park-goers potentially
being bothered.
The shelter is not intended
for people with severe mental
health or substance abuse
problems, but if residents
need those services they will
be referred to them, AAPCI
founder and CEO Matthew
Okebiyi said in response to
concerns.
On Nov. 15, CB8 voted 33-1
with one abstention to urge
elected offi cials to mandate a
review process for proposed
shelters that includes the local
community board, borough
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, D 2 EC. 10-16, 2021 BTR
president, city Planning
Commission and City Council.
On Nov. 16, The Mayor’s Offi
ce of Contract Services held
a public hearing, which is required
for contracts valued at
more than $100,000. While the
agency must consider testimony,
it is up to DSS whether
to move forward.
But state Assemblyman
Jeffrey Dinowitz and his son
City Councilman Eric Dinowitz
said communication with
DSS has been a struggle, lacking
transparency and concrete
details.
“It feels like DSS is working
against us,” the councilman
said. “There is no other
way to frame it than that.”
He said he is encouraging
the city comptroller to reject
the project.
Weeks ago, CB8 sent a list
of 24 questions to DSS about
the shelter and didn’t receive
a response until minutes before
the meeting on Tuesday.
Drinkwater said the email
was supposed to be sent earlier
Tuesday but wasn’t because
of a miscommunication
The site of a proposed shelter at 6661-6667 Broadway has both vacant
and occupied storefronts. Photo Adrian Childress
in her offi ce. But DSS insisted
that it has made itself available
to the community.
DSS told the Bronx Times
they send letters to community
boards annually requesting
site suggestions and
haven’t received any from
CB8. But Land Use Committee
Chairman Charles Moerdler
-- who said he has provided
ideas himself -- and Spalter
both said they have never seen
the letter.
Moerdler, who called DSS a
“rogue” and “nonfunctional”
agency, grilled Drinkwater
on Tuesday about nepotism
within AAPCI and Okebiyi’s
salary, which according to
tax forms, was more than
$530,000 in 2018. The city investigated
AAPCI after discovering
Okebiyi supervised
his brother, who worked as
CFO, according to the New
York Times. Also, his sisterin
law was on the non-profi t’s
board.
Drinkwater didn’t directly
address accusations of nepotism
but insisted the agency
follows all procurement rules
and said Okebiyi’s salary
aligns with similarly sized organizations.
On Nov. 3, state Sen. Alessandra
Biaggi and U.S. Rep.
Jamaal Bowman both announced
they support the
shelter.
As to whether the shelter
is a done deal, Moerdler said
to assume “they are going to
try” to make it one and Drinkwater
said the agency is committed
to moving the project
forward.
N. Riverdale shelter plans
still on, despite opposition
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