FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com DECEMBER 24, 2015 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11 DHS failed homeless families on several fronts: Comptroller’s audit BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@queenscourier.com @a_giudicereport Operational problems at the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) contributed to deplorable conditions at no fewer than two Queens shelters and numerous others across the city, according to an audit conducted by City Comptroller Scott Stringer. The audit, which was released on Dec. 21, sampled 101 randomly selected housing units out of the city’s 155 shelters that serve families with children, with 22 units coming from Queens shelters. It focused on families that had been placed in the shelters during fi scal years 2013 and 2014, and that have remained in a shelter as of October. Auditors found that 53 percent of inspected apartments had evidence of rodents, roaches and other types of vermin; and 87 percent of inspected units had conditions that raised health and safety concerns such as malfunctioning smoke detectors, blocked fi re escapes, mold, mildew, peeling paint and walls with holes. Out of the 22 units inspected in the two Queens shelters, Corona, a Tier II shelter and Lincoln Atlantic, which is a hotel, auditors identifi ed 50 unsafe and unhealthy conditions. “Over 23,000 homeless children in City Comptroller Scott Stringer cited health and safety violations at the emergency homeless shelter located in the former Pan American Hotel in Elmhurst (above) in reject our city slept in nightmare conditions last night, many of them surrounded by peeling paint, some feeling the chill from broken windows and others sharing space with vermin,” Stringer said. “And when those same children woke up today, DHS still had no plan in place to help their families make it out of the shelter system.” According to the report, the DHS has several operational defi ciencies THE COURIER/File photo that led to these conditions including inadequate oversight procedures, inadequate efforts to transition families, weak shelter security and shelters operating without contracts. The audit found that DHS has only 14 program analysts — the staff who oversees social services — assigned to monitor services at 155 shelters housing 12,500. That means that each staff member was responsible for 11 shelters and 900 families. In examining a sample of 12 longterm shelter families, housed in eight facilities, auditors found that the DHS failed to meet their goal of transitioning shelter residents out of emergency housing within 270 days. Auditors also discovered that there has been a serious lack of security at many shelter sites, including at one cluster site, which houses 300 families in 16 separate buildings, which had only one guard who was stationed in the main building, leaving the other 15 buildings with no security guards. During the audit period, it was found that DHS placed families in 64 shelters — 51 hotels, 10 cluster shelters and three Tier II shelters — that were operating without a written contract. Stinger noted that by operating without a contract it is “extremely diffi cult to enforce health and safety codes, and it’s almost impossible to ensure shelters make important repairs.” Stringer suggested that DHS transfer staff from other DHS units to oversee shelters in which children are at risk, revamp monitoring controls to ensure shelters provide families with Independent Living Plans to help them move out of the shelter system in a timely manner, ensure that apartments are inspected and that all necessary repairs are made, and ensure that DHS shelter providers sign written contracts with the city. Great rates like ours are always in season. 24-Month CD 1.30%APY* $5,000 minimum deposit At Flushing Bank, we’re small enough to know you and large enough to provide you with the great rates you’re looking for. Hurry, an offer like this can’t last forever. For more information and to find out about our other great offers, visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call 800.581.2889 or visit www.FlushingBank.com. 60-Month CD 2..25%APY* $5,000 minimum deposit * New money only. APY effective December 14, 2015. Annual percentage yield assumes principal and interest remain on deposit for a full year at current rate. Minimum deposit balance of $5,000 is required. Funds cannot be transferred from an existing Flushing Bank account. Premature withdrawals may be subject to bank and IRS penalties. Rates and offer are subject to change without notice. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark
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