Homes, Not Shelters, Say Council Members Sanders and Monserrate

ity Council Members James Sanders, Jr. and Hiram Monserrate joined homeless advocate Steven Banks of the Legal Aid Society in calling on the Bloomberg Administration to halt plans to convert more hotels into shelters and instead place homeless families in permanent housing.

"The administration has articulated a plan to deal with homelessness that calls for the placement of more shelter residents into housing; however, we haven’t seen more permanent housing – only more Tier II facilities," said James Sanders Jr., Chair of the City Council’s Economic Development Committee. "Unfortunately, what starts off as a temporary solution – specifically, an expansion of Tier II facilities – can easily turn into a permanent 'solution.' This is particularly true when the facilities are near our airports and far away from the City’s wealthy and powerful elite."

Turning airport hotels into homeless facilities Hiram Monserrate, Co-Chair of the Black and Hispanic Caucus, called "a band-aid solution to homelessness in the city." He continued, "These hotel shelters are a stop-gap measure that are failing families in need of affordable housing. The solution is not more transitional housing; it is permanent housing."

The Department of Homelessness (DHS) recently entered into contracts to turn hotels near LaGuardia and JFK Airports into homeless shelters. The Skyway Motel in East Elmhurst, Queens, located in Monserrate’s District, recently signed a 10-year renewable lease with DHS to provide shelter for 49 homeless families. In Council Member Sanders’ district in Jamaica, Queens, the Best Western Hotel already serves as a 337-room shelter.

In the past, these hotels served airport traffic generated by the City’s booming tourism market. However, the drop in tourism after September 11th has led to increasing vacancy, leaving some airport hotel owners struggling. "We should not compound two tragedies – the homelessness problem and the post 9/11 drop in tourism – by creating a third tragedy: devastating the ongoing economic development efforts around our airports," Councilman Sanders stated emphatically.

In order to justify these actions, the Bloomberg Administration has stressed the increased numbers of persons in the shelter system. However, after a spike in new clients earlier this year, the number of new families entering the system has decreased by 8% over last summer. "The problem is not simply an increase in the newly homeless," noted Councilman Monserrate, "but a decrease in available affordable housing."

According to homeless advocate Steven Banks, rent subsidies are the ticket to permanent housing. "The solution to Mayor Bloomberg’s housing emergency is not more hotel shelters, but the Governor’s approval of a rent subsidy program like the one he supported in Long Island," he explained.

"We appreciate Council Members Monserrate and Sanders calling for housing as a solution to homelessness when too many political leaders are simply saying 'not in my backyard,'" stated Lynn Lewis, Co-Director of Picture the Homeless, an organization that provides a voice to people who are without a home to advocate for themselves. "Picture the Homeless calls on the Bloomberg Administration to prioritize the conversion of thousands of currently vacant city owned apartments to housing affordable for the lowest income New Yorkers - full time minimum wage workers and below, including public assistance recipients and part time workers," she continued.

Lewis pointed out that shelters are more costly than housing. "People experiencing homelessness as well as people who have homes throughout New York want the same thing - housing, jobs and community development that benefit all New Yorkers."

Donna Lamb can be reached at dlamb@gis.net.