Amidst the city scrambling to find space to house an influx of asylum seekers and increasing homeless in New York City, one former Ozone Park shelter has been reactivated to meet the demand.
“The need for space has a direct correlation to New York being a sanctuary city,” Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) told the Chronicle.
She learned last week from the community board that the Travelodge on Redding Street would be converted back into a shelter.
That location and the adjacent Ozone Inn & Suites were previously used to shelter homeless families but were phased out by the city in the fall of 2021. Now, the one location will be used to house up to 75 families. So far, approximately 60 families had already moved in.
On Monday, the Mayor’s Office announced an emergency procurement declaration that allows the city to contract quickly with shelters and service providers.
“Over the past two months, we have seen a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving in our city’s shelter system,” Mayor Adams said in a statement.
“To fulfill our city’s legal and moral mandate to provide quality shelter to anyone experiencing homelessness, and to ensure we are providing appropriate services to asylum seekers, we are immediately issuing an emergency procurement declaration to rapidly procure additional shelter and services to serve these individuals and families.”
According to officials, approximately 4,000 asylum seekers have entered the city shelter system since late May, largely contributing to the 10 percent increase in the city Department of Homeless Services’ census.
More than 100 additional asylum seekers are seeking housing each day, the Mayor’s Office stated in a press release.
As of May, there were nearly 50,000 homeless people, including over 15,000 children, living in the city’s shelter system, according to the Coalition for the Homeless.
The city is in talks with the federal government to seek reimbursements for the emergency costs.
Ariola said there will be bi-weekly meetings at the Travelodge with her office, Community Board 10, the NYPD and the DHS.
“I’m concerned about how the families are being treated and I’m concerned about any type of negative impact that could have on the surrounding community,” said Ariola.
8 comments:
It was fucking BUILT to be a homeless shelter, all these hot sheet no tell motels were built with that in mind...
Number #1 that is right !
Probably for all the Norwegians ...
PANICKED Dems MELTDOWN as Illegals FLOOD into New York City!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q2RKdrPb1g&ab_channel=Dr.SteveTurley
Well, they won't be homeless once they move in. Problem solved.
Hotels are for commies!
They'll find housing for all these illegal aliens wherever they come from but that a person like me and many more like me than have a small pension cannot afford to live in five boroughs anymore does the city consider our problem no because it's not a political maneuver worried about the senior citizen and when the senior citizens can't pay the high rent anymore and we become homeless who do we turn to and get a free house a free apartment free food stamps Medical hope nobody it's disgusting how we forget about our own and take care of everybody else
I love my new breakfast taco neighbors and welcome them here with open arms!
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