City Opens ‘Surprise Shelter’ in Williamsburg Hotel, Angering Neighbors

July 24, 2024 | admin

(DNAINFO)  Gwynn Hogan | October 5, 2017 — A “surprise shelter” opened over the summer in a former Union Avenue hotel without notification to the community, an indication that the city has quietly backpedaled on a pledge to warn neighbors at least seven days in an advance before moving in homeless people.

All 54 rooms at The Metropolitan at 437 Union Ave. are being rented out by the Department of Homeless Services, the agency confirmed, and will be used by the department for a minimum of two years, according to Jen Gutierrez, the chief of staff at Local Councilman’s Antonio Reynoso’s Office, who got wind of the shelter had opened from concerned constituents.

“There was no heads-up,” said Gutierrez. “They didn’t speak to Antonio directly.”

DHS, which moved homeless residents into The Metropolitan in July, also didn’t warn the local community board, Gutierrez said. The agency left a message with a part-time staffer in Reynoso’s office on July 20, though the word “shelter” wasn’t mentioned, she said.

Reynoso and his top staff members are in constant communication with DHS about other shelters in the district, so the fact that they wouldn’t mention the new shelter to any of them directly further frustrated the councilman, Gutierrez said.

DHS spokesman Isaac McGinn refuted Gutierrez’ claims by mentioning the July 20 call to Reynoso’s part-time staffer.

When asked how long DHS planned to use The Metropolitan for homeless New Yorkers, McGinn declined to give a date, citing the mayor’s plan to build 90 new shelters and stop using commercial hotels to house homeless New Yorkers by 2023.

If the city is able to phase out its use of the Metropolitan or any other hotel before that, it will, McGinn added.

Source: City Opens ‘Surprise Shelter’ in Williamsburg Hotel, Angering Neighbors – Williamsburg – New York – DNAinfo

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