26 THE QUEENS COURIER • NOVEMBER 20, 2014 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com Pan Am homeless shelter violates laws, says opponent BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com/@aaltamirano28 One Elmhurst grassroots organization is claiming the conditions at the proposed permanent homeless shelter at the former Pan American Hotel are breaking the law. Elmhurst United, a grassroots organization that has been voicing its opposition to the homeless shelter at 7900 Queens Blvd. since day one, released a statement arguing that conditions at the homeless shelter violate city laws. The statement was released after a Queens Courier report that the city is seeking approval for a $42 million contract to operate the site as a permanent shelter. The Department of Homeless Services did not immediately respond to request for comment. The group claims the shelter violates the NYC Administrative Code, which states, “No homeless family shelter shall be established which does not provide a bathroom, a refrigerator and cooking facilities and an adequate sleeping area within each unit within the shelter and which otherwise complies with state and local laws.” According to the organization, the site does not have kitchens in every unit, which was why initially DHS did not consider the site to be a “permanent family shelter.” Other conditions include “inadequate sleeping quarters” with four to five people living in a single room with bunk beds pushed up against windows, according to Elmhurst United. “These units simply cannot be converted to be used for permanent housing with minimal structural change,” said Jennifer Chu, spokeswoman for Elmhurst United. “The Pan Am would require major renovation in order for it to lawfully meet NYC standards for Tier II homeless shelters. The Samaritan Village draft contract shows that there is no money in the line item budget to do renovations for the next 4.5 years.” DHS is proposing a fiveyear, $42 million contract with Samaritan Village Inc. for the shelter at the Pan Am Hotel, The Courier previously reported. THE COURIER/Photo by Angy Altamirano open for Business with Choices that Work. Ask about our other business products and services! Remote Deposit Capture4 myNYCB.com • (877) 786-6560 Business 0.75% Liquid Cd APY1 9-Month Cd Need access to your funds? Get maximum flexibility with In-Branch Penalty-Free Withdrawals2 • Minimum to open is $2,500 • Minimum balance to earn interest is $2,500 Business Edition® Visa® Cards3 Merchant Service Solutions5 1Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of date of publication and is subject to change without notice. The minimum balance to earn the stated APY for the 9-month Business Liquid CD is $2,500. The interest rate remains fixed until maturity. Fees could reduce earnings. The promotional CD must be opened with new money not currently on deposit with the Bank. Please ask a bank representative for the full terms and conditions of the Business Liquid CD. 2A penalty may be imposed for withdrawals before maturity. The penalty will be waived if the withdrawal is made after the first six days of the account term or after the first six days following any partial withdrawal. 3Visa® cards are issued by First Bankcard,® a division of First National Bank of Omaha, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.® 4Services are offered by New York Community Bank and New York Commercial Bank, affiliates and wholly owned subsidiaries of New York Community Bancorp, Inc. 5TransFirst® is a third-party outsource provider for Merchant Services. Offer may be withdrawn at the discretion of the bank at any time. The bank is not responsible for typographical errors.
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