The Fairfield Inn in Long Island City will begin housing homeless families in March and will be the first hotel in Queens to prioritize sheltering families who are from the borough.
Located at 52-34 Van Dam St., it will be the fourth hotel in the area to house homeless residents. According to Department of Homeless Services (DHS) officials, Community Board 2 was notified of the plan on Feb. 13, one month before families are expected to move in. The DHS has been heavily criticized previously for not providing enough notice.
As part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Turning the Tide plan, the city is opening 14 transitional housing facilities, which includes the Fairfield Inn, around the city to make sure homeless residents can stay in their home boroughs, schools, jobs and houses of worship.
Home/Life will be the nonprofit service provider at this specific location and will provide services to 154 adult families at the site. Services will include administration, case management, housing placement assistance, health/mental health services and yoga and nutrition classes.
They will also provide “around-the-clock” security with two officers at the entrance to monitor security cameras and control building access. A minimum of four security staff and one supervisor will also be stationed at the site. A total of 95 security cameras have been installed throughout the building and across the site and shelter residents have a 10 p.m. curfew.
According to DHS officials, a phone line will be available 24/7 for community residents to address concerns and provide feedback.
There are currently 262 people from Community District 2 in shelters around the city and 758 individuals sheltered in the district, DHS officials said. The three hotels already providing shelter in the district include The Verve Hotel in Long Island City, which houses homeless women, the City View Inn, a shelter for homeless men, and the Best Western Hotel in Sunnyside, a shelter for homeless families.
Hotels are expected to be phased out of the shelter system by the end of 2023 as part of the mayor’s Turn the Tide plan, including three in Community District 2. DHS also houses 85 homeless veterans at the Borden Transitional Housing Facility.
“This high-quality facility will be the first of its kind in this Community District, offering 154 adult families from Queens the opportunity to be sheltered in their home borough, closer to their support networks and communities they called home as they get back on their feet,” said Isaac McGinn, press secretary for DHS. “Working together with neighbors and nonprofit service provider Home/Life, we’re confident that these families will be warmly welcomed — and through collaborative support and compassion, we will make this the best experience it can be for these individuals as they get back on their feet.”
LIC Post first reported the story.
