Despite a Bedford-Stuyvesant source with inside knowledge saying the city has decided to not put in a controversial homeless drop-in center at 1217 Bedford Avenue, both the City’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and the non-profit organization slated to run the center say the site is still being evaluated.
Either way, the lack of transparency and mixed messages on the issue is continuing as the neighborhood is already struggling with having 14 homeless shelters and the most homeless students of any school district in the borough.
Under the plan, the non-profit organization Breaking Ground would to run the transitional residence and drop -in center at the site, and If approved, it would hold 30 beds for transitional residence and a drop-in center capacity for 75 homeless adults.
Drop-in centers provide an alternative to traditional shelters for street homeless individuals and and offer temporary respite where individuals can shower, eat a meal, see a doctor and rest. Case management and housing placement services are also available for clients at the centers.
But one well-placed source said the city will not be putting in a shelter at that site, and that the decision was made near the very top of the de Blasio Administration.
To which DHS Spokesperson Lauren Gray insisted the shelter is still on the table. “We are currently in the process of evaluating this location,” she said, not adding any further details about when a decision will be made.