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    Audit Faults Shelter Contracts

      •  Citywide

    State Comptroller’s audit criticized the high costs of past homeless shelters leases; the agency responded that it is in the process of tightening its leasing procedures. In October of 2017, the New York State Comptroller’s office released an audit regarding contracts signed over the past four years between the City and landlords providing homeless shelters. The audit found that the Department of Homeless Services does not have written policies and standard operating procedures for key aspects of shelter contract procurements and rate-setting processes and that such documentation is neither readily available nor maintained, as required the City. (read more…)

    Tags : contracts, Department of Homeless Services, Homeless shelter, shelters
    Date:03/29/2018
    Category : CityLaw, Department of Homelss Services
    (1) Comment

    YMCA Sprinkler Summons Dismissed

    Sprinkler System  •  Greenpoint, Brooklyn

    YMCA at 99 Meserole Avenue in Brooklyn. Image: YMCA.

    Vestibule lacked connection to the building’s sprinkler system. The YMCA maintains a location at 99 Meserole Avenue in Brooklyn in a building constructed in the mid-1900’s. The YMCA at this location has a gym, locker room, rooms for hosting communal activities and classes as well as living quarters to serve as a Department of Homeless Services shelter. The second, third and fourth floors consist of 102 bedrooms and kitchen areas. (read more…)

    Tags : department of buildings, Department of Homeless Services, YMCA
    Date:02/15/2018
    Category : Department Of Buildings
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    Mayor Pushes New Plan to Combat Homelessness

    Homelessness  •  Citywide

    Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image credit: CityLaw.

    Mayor’s new homelessness plan includes broad reforms in current systems and the replacement of 360 shelter cluster sites with 90 new shelters citywide. On February 28, 2017, the Mayor’s Office released a 128-page report entitled “Turning the Tide on Homelessness.” The report outlines the steps the administration will take going forward to better combat the rising homeless crisis in New York City. (read more…)

    Tags : Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi, Commissioner Steven Banks, Council Member Stephen Levin, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Department of Homeless Services, Mayor Bill de Blasio
    Date:03/06/2017
    Category : Office of the Mayor
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    Comptroller Audit Reveals Potential Problems With DHS Providers Oversight

    Comptroller Audit  •  Citywide
    comptroller audit dhs

    NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer. Image credit: Office of the New York City Comptroller

    Comptroller’s audit finds that DHS’ fiscal operations could reduce the effectiveness of DHS’ oversight over providers. On January 24, 2017, the Office of the City Comptroller Scott Stringer released a report of an audit of Samaritan Daytop Village Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that provides shelter and services to homeless individuals and families under a contract with the Department of Homeless Services. The audit sought to evaluate whether payments to Samaritan and the payment rates were reasonable, appropriate, and adequately supported, and whether Samaritan was complying with its contract with DHS. Additionally, the audit sought to determine whether DHS adequately monitored Samaritan to ensure that all payments were made in compliance with the contract. (read more…)

    Tags : City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Department of Homeless Services
    Date:01/30/2017
    Category : Comptroller's Office
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    Developer Withdraws Proposal Following Public Controversy over Affordable Housing

    Application Withdrawal  •  Sunnyside, Queens
    controversy over affordable housing

    Image Credit: Google Maps

    Phipps Houses withdrew its application for its ten-story, Barnett Avenue development following a lack of community support. On September 20, 2016, Phipps Houses, the oldest and largest not-for-profit developer of affordable housing in New York City, withdrew its Barnett Avenue development proposal—the day before its scheduled public hearing in front of the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. Phipps Houses had sought a zoning map change and two zoning text amendments to facilitate the construction of a new mixed-use development in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens. (read more…)

    Tags : City Planning Commission, Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, Council’s Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee, Department of Homeless Services, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Phipps Houses, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Queens Community Board 2
    Date:10/04/2016
    Category : City Council
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    Appellate Division Upholds Homeless Shelter Siting

    Court agreed DHS met their burden under the Fair Share Criteria.  In 2012 the Department of Homeless Services opened Freedom House, a 200-family homeless shelter at 316-330 West 95th Street in Manhattan’s Upper West Side on an emergency contract.  When the emergency contract expired, then-Comptroller John C. Liu declined to register the permanent contract.  A community group, Neighborhood In The Nineties, filed an Article 78 petition to enjoin the Comptroller from registering the contract.  Neighborhood argued their area, located in Manhattan Community Board 7, was over-saturated with support housing and to add more would violate the Fair Share Criteria.

    (read more…)

    Tags : Department of Homeless Services, fair share criteria, Freedom House, John C. Liu, Manhattan Community Board 7, Michael Bloomberg, Neighborhood In The Nineties
    Date:12/01/2015
    Category : Court Decisions
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