16 The QUEE NS Courier • NOVEMBER 3, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Residents protest in front of East Elmhurst hotel over shelter plan that may not exist By Angela Matua amatua@qns.com /@AngelaMatua Dozens of people gathered in front of the Courtyard Marriott in East Elmhurst on Oct. 26 to voice opposition about a possible plan to house homeless men in the hotel’s rooms. Residents from East Elmhurst, Corona, Elmhurst and Maspeth held up signs and shouted “no more shelters.” The East Elmhurst Corona Alliance organized the rally. The Courtyard Marriott, located at 90-10 Ditmars Blvd., is a 288-room hotel near La Guardia Airport. Opponents argue that the neighborhood is already flooded with homeless shelters. Some hotels being used as shelters in the area include The Westway Hotel, Pan American Hotel and the Holiday Inn Express in Corona. In September, state Senator Jose Peralta announced that the Department of Homeless Services started housing homeless families in the Holiday Inn Express at 113-10 Horace Harding Expwy. without notifying elected officials or Corona residents. “We are being oversaturated in East Elmhurst and Corona,” said Talea Wufka, member of the East Elmhurst Corona Alliance. “We do not have the supply and demand, although we sympathize and empathize with the homeless. We cannot afford to house it all here. We have enough shelters as is.” In a meeting with the Queens borough president this month, DHS Commissioner Steve Banks said the agency is focusing on getting rid of cluster sites before before phasing out the use Queens residents rallied outside of a hotel in East Elmhurst that they say may be turned into a homeless shelter. of hotels as shelters. Peralta voiced his opposition to the Couryard Marriott plan last week, saying that these communities have “already carried our fair share of this problem by hosting no less than five shelters in our neighborhoods.” Doreen Lucero, director of sales at the hotel, told QNS that the Department of Homeless Services never reached out to the hotel about renting rooms. “One hundred percent that it is not the plan,” Lucero said. “We have no intentions to rent rooms to DHS. Hearing the story and concerns were surprising to us because we have no idea where they came from.” She also added that the hotel upgraded the rooms in 2013 and just recently upgraded the meeting spaces. “If they just did the meeting rooms, why would Photo courtesy of the East Elmhurst Corona Alliance they put money into something that would maybe not make the hotel as valuable?” she said. Lauren Gray, a spokesperson for DHS, said the agency has no plans to rent rooms or convert the hotel. “There are currently no plans to convert this hotel into a shelter or to temporarily rent rooms to help meet our legal and moral obligation to shelter homeless New Yorkers,” Gray said. “We do have an open-ended RFP and are always looking to review strong proposals, but the Department of Homeless Services has not received a proposal for this location.” It is unclear how the East Elmhurst Corona Alliance heard about this plan. A spokesperson for Peralta said the senator was made aware by community members. The East Elmhurst Corona Association has not responded to emails as of press time. Corona affordable housing complex is eco-friendly haven for seniors By Angela Matua amatua@qns.com /@AngelaMatua Corona will receive a green, affordable housing complex for seniors that will also be the first in the country to meet rigorous energy efficiency standards. Located at 54-17 101st St., the 68 units will be income-restricted and 21 units will be reserved for vulnerable seniors. This building is also the first affordable housing site for seniors built in Corona in more than 30 years. Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Department of City Planning held a groundbreaking for the structure on Oct. 25, which is set to open in spring 2018. It will meet several energy-efficiency standards including NYSERDA Multifamily Performance Standards for Energy Star Certification, Enterprise Green Communities Criteria and will be the first affordable senior housing structure in the United States to meet the Passive House Institute design standards. “HANAC’s Corona Senior Residence will increase our borough’s supply of affordable senior housing while also offering important supportive services that will allow its residents to live healthier and fuller lives,” Katz said. “In short, the Corona Senior Residence is a model development that will set the standard for future efforts to provide affordable and supportive senior housing in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner.” The Hellenic Action Neighborhood Committee will provide seniors with a social service coordinator and health screening program to prevent avoidable hospitalizations. A preschool will also be constructed on the site by the School Construction Authority. A shared rear yard with a vegetable garden, seating and tables for residents and a children’s natural play area will also be included. All apartments will receive rent subsidy through HPD’s Senior Affordable Rental Apartments (SARA) program. By meeting rigorous Passive House standards, the development will limit its energy consumption by approximately 75 percent, which will result in lower utility bills for tenants and lower operating costs for owners. Funding is provided by Councilwoman Julissa-Ferreras Copeland, Katz, JP Morgan Chase, NYCERS and the office of Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. “I am proud to join HANAC and all our partners to bring affordable senior housing to our community. Too many seniors pay too much of their income in rent, and we must work to address this problem across our district and city,” Ferreras-Copeland said. “That was my vision while negotiating the Willets Point agreement, and it continues to drive my work today. This development will be a model, with energy efficient design and staff to provide seniors with the support services they need for decades to come. Our community deserves nothing less.” Photo courtesy of Edward Wheeler/Association for Energy Affordability Corona will receive a green, affordable housing complex for seniors that will also be the first in the country to meet rigorous energy efficiency standards.
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