A notorious homeless shelter on Wards Island with ties to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's sister has quietly closed following years of complaints about conditions.
The 200-bed HELP-USA facility for men with mental illness — formerly run by Cuomo's sister, Maria Cuomo Cole — was shut down in December despite a record number of people staying in city homeless shelters. There were more than 70,000 people in the shelter system Wednesday night, according to official data.
A spokesperson for HELP-USA — which the former governor founded more than 30 years ago — confirmed the closure. Cuomo Cole serves on HELP’s board of directors and describes herself as chair emeritus. The nonprofit operates three other shelters on Wards Island.
“Unfortunately, due to concerns with the building infrastructure, we were forced to close the site at the end of 2022,” HELP spokesperson Stephen Mott said.
The organization’s five-year, $65 million contract with the city to operate the shelter was due to expire in June, according to city comptroller records.
Crumbling conditions at the 13-story Meyer building earned the shelter the distinction of being one of the worst in New York City.
Shelter inspection reports issued by the Coalition for the Homeless revealed frequent heat outages, The City reported in 2019.
In 2021, a resident was stuck in a broken elevator at the building for four nights.
The barracks-style shelter on an isolated island served by a single bus line was especially tough for people with mental illness, Legal Aid attorney Joshua Goldfein said.
“This place was barely fit for human habitation, in addition to being inaccessible and terribly located,” he said.
Goldfein described a litany of problems, including drafty windows that HELP-USA attempted to address by covering them with plexiglass. But the quick fix cut off ventilation in the shared dormitories, a problem reported by Curbed in 2021. Elevators in the “fortress-like” building were only accessible by stairs, limiting access for people in wheelchairs or with other mobility issues, Goldfein added.
Mott, HELP-USA’s chief strategy officer, said all of the sleeping areas and common spaces in the shelter had air conditioning units that operated well.
He said residents were moved to permanent housing and other shelters throughout the city. The Department of Homeless Services said the closure was planned, but did not provide specifics about where residents were placed. An spokesperson for the agency said it has no plans to reopen the facility as a shelter.
Andre D-Nyse, a former resident of the facility, told Gothamist that staff and fellow residents frequently brought weapons. Shelter staff, he said, also used pepper spray on people.
“People have weapons and be hurting people in their sleep,” D-Nyse said in a text message. “I can’t live like this no more… I’m moving to the street as soon as it gets warmer out.”
9 comments:
The idea that homeless and prisoners have to be in their neighborhood is bogus. They need a fresh air fund, glue factories in the country side, to break their association and bad habit. Otherwise, instead of a fresh air fund, they should bus country kids to stand on top of smokestacks for days at a time.
Comming to Doglaston soon....
Let’s hope those homeless people have the good sense to move to the great swamp of Florida.
In 1990, Bill Tucker uncovered Maria Cuomo living in Mitchell Lama housing on 34th St in Manhuten
This is really sad news. Where will the Q-Anon drone go? Will it have to sleep on the streets?
How will it conttinue to troll QC when living on the streets?
65 million dollar contract and the building fell apart?
The system for these charity s and non profits is deeply flawed and needs to be fixed. It has to many ways to legally steal.
In New York the people at the top can write up as much as 95% as administrative pay and only give 5% to the cause wle still claiming "not for profit"
Much like how the schools steal tax dollars on Long Island. Much like how Estelle Cooper with her daily $400 lunch meetings at her buddy's restaurant Terrace On The Park. Nobody would blow the whistle on her. I tried to at a fundraiser for New York State pavilion and she had a mob 6 police throw me out for asking. $179 steak? "Hey Estelle who pays for your daily lunch party's in this joint? People been asking this simple question, Why all the hush?
In the end the $500,000 raised all disappeared, for years no questions or investigations by the city, comptroller attorney general or press were done. These bastards are worse then that deSimone hole in the wall skimming mob out in Las Vegas in the early 1970s.
Back to the topic:
Non Profit, $65 million cant fix or weatherstrip window seals OK haw about this:
How about Cuomos daughter, her friends at the top showing us the books or simple pie chart on how much of that $65 million went to salary's, work cars, jets, restaurant meetings, assorted fluff bullshit, and how much went to the cause: As in this building, plumbing, windows, beds, TVs etc for the homeless that $65 million was intended for?
Just like the clergyman, preacher driving a new rented $500,000 Mercedes to a beachfront 20 room mansion with a shitty little office to make believe its all for business administration.
Why is nobody interested in keeping an eye on these no profits and charity's or changing the 95% take/5% spend for the cause allowances.
Its not hard to do and not rocket science, first look up the income tax filings and see how these people paid themselves, how much and from what coffers. Perhaps the deaf, dumb and blind press is afraid of the mayors office of media. (Mayors office supply's all the press credentials and permits)
I guess the mayors office only allows the press to go after Donald Trump and democrat enemy's
Show us the books and pie chart for $65 million!!
-Joe
I believe George Santos was running it. That's what he said.
Thanks Joe....
@"I believe George Santos was running it. That's what he said."
No he wasn't!
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