By Bill Parry
Faced with a spike in the city’s homeless population this summer, the Department of Homeless Services declared the former Clarion Hotel in East Elmhurst an emergency shelter. More than 40 homeless families began moving into the city’s first new shelter to open in 2015, directly across the Grand Central Parkway at 94-00 Ditmars Ave.
After initially denying an interest in the 169-unit hotel in June, DHS reversed course after “a summer uptick.”
“We have seen a 20 percent increase of families at shelter intake centers this June, and these increases have maxed our system,” Mayor Bill de Blasio’s spokeswoman Ishanee Parikh said. “We need to ensure we have enough space to house families in need, and we’re working closely with the community, local clergy and elected officials to ensure a smooth transition.”
DHS adopted the protocol of notifying the public at least seven days prior to opening a new shelter after last summer’s tumultuous events at the Pan American hotel in Elmhurst, which saw three racially charged rallies. State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) attended the meeting last week at the First Baptist Church and came away angered by the process.
“Here we go again, another permanent homeless shelter coming into my district,” Peralta said. “The real kicker here is the so-called use of their emergency authority ,which is cover for just bringing a homeless shelter into the community without any community input. My constituents are very understanding of the necessity of the city’s obligation to house the homeless, as well as understand(ing) that anyone is a paycheck away from being homeless. But the fact that the city seeks input after the fact is nothing but a Bloomberg or Giuliani tactic of shoving a homeless shelter down a community’s throat.”
City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst), who lives just blocks away, found the community to be sympathetic to the new residents. But she would like to see the city channel more resources into the area.
“I have made it clear to the mayor’s office that we need better bus service, improved public spaces and business services, and the shelter needs social services like after-school programming and job-seeking assistance,” Ferreras said. “I have been clear that we can be sympathetic to those who are going through hardship and welcome them to our churches and schools, but not without adequate support.”
DHS will work to ensure families have adequate transportation to and from their appointments and schools, while service provider CAMBA will bring on-site social and rehousing services.
Meals will be provided at the shelter because the units, like those in the shelter at the Pan American, lack kitchens, which goes against city and state laws. In both cases DHS says kitchens are not required in “emergency shelters.”
.DHS will develop and implement a robust security plan—through consultation with the NYPD and community affairs—to ensure the safety of shelter residents and the community, officials say.
Peralta will keep a watchful eye on The Landing and its effect on the community. He says he will not be intimidated by the de Blasio administration.
“The administration tries to shame you directly or indirectly by saying how sad it is that we don’t understand or care about the homeless and those poor individuals going through such a tough time in their lives, which is not the case at all,” Peralta said. “My job is to represent the interests of my constituents who live in my district and worry about their quality of life, and if a homeless shelter has a negative impact on resources like sanitation, health, education and public safety, which the city is not adequately providing, my responsibility is to air their concerns. At the same time, a lack of essential services also has a negative impact on the lives of homeless individuals.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
