FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 15, 2016 • THE QUEENS COURIER 23 Astoria nonprofit looks to evict residents for shelter BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@qns.com @AngelaMatua A Christian nonprofi t organization in Astoria is looking to kick residents out of its dormitory to operate a homeless shelter. New York School of Urban Ministry (NYCUM), located at 31-10 47th St., sent eviction notices to its 35 tenants on Nov. 28, informing that that they must “vacate the premises” on or before Dec. 31. Th e building contains 39 single-room dorms with a communal living and kitchen space and tenants must have references from three clergy to move in. According to Florence Koulouris, district manager for Community Board 1, a concerned tenant reached out to her to report the eviction notice last week. Koulouris called Pastor Peter DeArruda, executive vice president of the ministry, and said he was “evasive” and “answered minimal questions.” An attorney for NYCUM told her that they already signed a contract with a homeless shelter provider to convert the building. Koulouris quickly called local elected offi cials including Councilmen Jimmy Van Bramer and Costa Constantinides, Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas and Senator Michael Gianaris. “Several days aft er Th anksgiving, to be told that you will be forced out and potentially homeless at Christmas is heartless. It’s cruel,” said Van Bramer at a press conference on Dec. 12. Th e councilman said he spoke to DeArruda, who told him that the nonprofit would still move forward with the plan as of Dec. 12. Th e organization extended the date of the eviction to Jan. 31, but only if the tenants wave their rights to challenge the evictions in court. “Th at is not an act of Christian kindness; that is a gun to your head where you are forced to sign away your rights and your home,” Van Bramer said. NYCUM “hosts, trains and deploys over 5,000 youth and adults for urban ministry each year by partnering with inner city pastors and churches in New York City,” according to its website. Th e old Boulevard Hospital at 31-65 46th St. is the site of the organization’s operations and houses ministry students. Th e building at 31-10 47th St. houses low-income people who are referred by clergy and who are encouraged to do charitable work while they live there. Rents at the building start at $425 and many tenants say that they cannot aff ord market-rate apartments. “Th is comes as such a great shock to us at this wonderful time of year,” tenant Linda Lane Smith said. “It’s Christ’s birthday and we are out on the streets. We cannot understand what we did to have this happen. Eighty-fi ve percent of the residents here would be unable to meet with the market price of apartments out there in the world. He just ripped the rug right from underneath us.” DeArruda claims that the organization is facing fi nancial hardship and cannot aff ord to keep running the building as is. But public records show that the property was fully paid for by 2014. Smith said that the organization makes $200,000 per year in rent from the tenants. According to Lauren Gray, spokesperson for the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the nonprofi t told the agency that missionary students were living in the dorms and they would be vacating the units soon. When DHS found out that the landlord wanted to kick out permanent tenants, they “immediately stopped any consideration of this property.” “Th e city has had no intention of pursuing this location since Nov. 17,” Gray said. “At the time the city considered this property, it had no knowledge that there were residents living at this location who would be displaced. We are currently working to connect tenants at this location to free anti-eviction legal services.” Th e nonprofi t could potentially sign a lease with a privately funded homeless shelter contractor, Van Bramer said. Sateesh Nori, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society, said that to be evicted every tenant must be taken to court. “We’ll meet with each and every tenant, look at each document and make sure there is no stone left unturned and to make sure that the tenants have their day in court and that their rights are respected,” Nori said. He added that in the worst-case scenario, Legal Aid Society would try to delay the period of time in which tenants have to leave to fi nd alternatives. “I don’t believe based on my conversation with the pastor that they exhausted all humane possibilities here, all compassionate, empathetic and Christian possibilities before they decided to use eviction notices,” Van Bramer said. “Innocent, good, hardworking people are being tossed out of their homes at Christmas time by a Christian organization because of money.” Ira Clair, the attorney for the organization, did not respond to requests for comment. Queens warned about illegal conversion dangers BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@qns.com @robbpoz Th e city stepped up its ongoing battle against illegal conversions on Dec. 8 by providing information packets at subway stations in two Queens areas with high rates of unlawful housing. Representatives of the Buildings Department, the Fire Department and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) handed out fl iers about the dangers of illegal conversions at the Fresh Pond Road station on the M line in Ridgewood and the Flushing-Main Street stop on the 7 line. Middle Village, which is served by the M line, and Flushing account for the highest number of illegal conversions in Queens, according to the Buildings Department. A number of homeowners in these areas have been caught creating illegal living spaces in violation of zoning, building and fi re codes. Illegal conversions oft en have unsafe conditions and lack the required secondary means of egress, proper windows or ventilation, and secure utility lines. Th e Dec. 8 fl ier distribution was part of the Buildings Department’s “Living Safely” campaign, which was launched following a fi re in Woodside in November of 2009. Th ree men who lived in an illegal basement apartment at the home died in the blaze. Illegal conversions poses risks not just to residents but also to fi refi ghters who respond to fi res at illegally converted homes, according to Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro. In 2005, two fi refi ghters were killed in the Bronx when they were forced to jump out of a window aft er being unable to escape the fl ames inside an illegally converted apartment. “Illegal apartments oft en lack basic safety standards, such as having only one exit — which, if it’s blocked in a fi re, can be fatal for occupants as well as fi rst responders,” Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler said. “Fortunately, it’s easy to recognize an illegally converted apartment if you know what to look for. Th e goal of the Living Safely campaign is to provide New Yorkers with the information they need to identify safe and legal housing for themselves and their families.” Residents are encouraged to report any suspected illegal conversions to the city’s 311 hotline. Visit http://www1.nyc.gov/ site/buildings/index.page for more information. Photo by Angela Matua New York School of Urban Ministry in Astoria is kicking tenants out of its apartment to open a homeless shelter. RIDGEWOOD TIMES/File Photo Three men died in a fi re inside the illegally converted apartment in Woodside where they lived in November of 2009.
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