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Men will move to homeless shelter at Radisson
A judge denied the request for a restraining order from Downtown New Yorkers that would have blocked the city from moving 235 men to the Radisson on William Street this week, as planned by the Department of Homeless Services. The judge did decide that opening arguments in the lawsuit will begin on Nov. 16, meaning there is every chance that the men are moved here, and if the lawsuit against the city is successful, they could be moved back uptown — or at least evicted from the Radisson — in a few weeks.
The New York State Supreme Court judge reasoned that the Radisson had already been operating as an emergency homeless shelter since the pandemic began in March. Its use now would be the same, only with more people.
Currently there are three hotels being used as temporary homeless shelters in Fidi, housing a total of 300 men — the Radisson at 52 William, the Hilton Garden Inn at 6 Water and a third (the city can’t disclose addresses for homeless shelters, which are protected by New York State Social Services Law, but neighbors have figured it out). This will put the shelter population in Fidi at 535.
However, according to DHS, these placements are all temporary until the pandemic restrictions on congregate shelters are lifted. Then, they said, these men will return to their “shelter of origin” (mostly on the Lower East Side) and the Radisson will become a permanent shelter for adult families — couples, or parents living with children over 18, or adult children living with elderly parents.
Here is a statement sent to me from DSS: “There are no traditional shelters in CD1. There are only commercial hotel locations that the city is using as stop-gap strategies for providing shelter [during the pandemic] … We have committed to ending the use of all commercial hotel locations as part of our Turning the Tide plan. At the point where those three commercial hotel locations are phased out, CD1 will have ZERO shelter capacity period. That is why we are now siting the traditional (“permanent”) shelter at 52 William.”
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Hey what’s with not posting my comments about how I’m glad the NIMBYs lost?
Ok then what’s your solution to housing these homeless men? Remember you’re calling for them to live in someone else’s neighborhood and they’re not lepers you can or should cast out.
All you people who don’t want these homeless people down here what are your ideas, solutions, etc? Let’s read ’em.
there are indeed plenty of homeless downtown. but this rapid move reeks more of secret cronyism business deals to put cash in the pockets of the property owner rather than a well thought out plan by the city for both the well being of the homeless and locals.
The court date for Upper West and FIDI is 11/16. If we don’t get this group we are getting another group we know nothing about. These people just aren’t homeless, They are people who have serious mental illness and drug abuse some even sex offenders. Blame your corrupt Mayor who is making sneaky deals with hotels all over this city with little regard for the communities.. We have enough homeless housed in FIDI. These men uptown have vandalized the property of the lawyer representing the Upper Westside. Some are even criminals. No i don’t want them living downtown and terrorizing the community and our families. They have uptown.
I agree with you NIMBY PIMBY. This shouldn’t just be a liberal progressive approach. This should be a human being approach. We have thousands of empty units throughout the city as a result of gross overbuilding. And 2 1/2 mayors who did very little to help with the homeless. Rudy bused them upstate for the night at great expense. Mike who can be a very generous person was almost MIA when dealing with the homeless and finally Bill who will end up getting no credit for the units being built right now because he will no longer be mayor. Don’t love the guy but those units will help. Same thing happened to David who was the mayor who funded training/hiring of the 6000 new NYPD officers and budgeted for the greening of our city parks but was gone before we saw the effects.
The homeless should be housed in all five boroughs not just the ones where you complainers don’t live.
The world is melting and I refuse to demonize a group of people down on their luck.
I suggest reading up on the Vancouver Canada study of what happened when the government gave homeless citizens $7500. These recipients where not struggling with mental illness or addiction when requires another approach entirely. But the results were heartening and reflected how very resilient many of these people are.
This NY’er applauds this decision. Welcome to the neighborhood and I wish you get the guidance, training and attention you need.
Easy to be liberal until the problem arrives in our back yard. We need to get past fear and complaint and think about positive solutions — ways to make life better for people without homes.
Classes, jobs (maintaining the shelter, e.g.) daycare clinics there could be structured activities and educational and cultural opportunities — a board of directors formed that includes members from the shelters — fundraising etc a way to make people living in the shelters invested in their Radisson community or wherever the shelter is…
Ive worked on homeless issues for a decade in SF, though I am back home in NYC now. The problem in SF is far worse from a street conditions standpoint. We need to see empty hotels converted to homeless shelters and supportive housing. Its not that homeless are in your hood, its how the services and housing/ shelter is managed. This is not an easy issue. Would you rather some guy set up a growing encampment on Harrison and Hudson or live in a hotel where at least there is a shot at some level of success.