City To Move Hell's Kitchen Shelter After Neighborhood Pushback

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — The city plans to move residents from a temporary hotel shelter in Hell's Kitchen after months of complaints by neighbors about the density of shelters in the area, officials confirmed Friday.

About 300 men experiencing homelessness will be moved from the former DoubleTree Hotel on West 36th Street to the Four Points by Sheraton on West 40th Street, Community Board 4 chair Lowell Kern told Patch. The move was first reported by NY1.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeless Services said the move stemmed from talks with CB4, which has called on the city to reduce the number of shelters on West 36th and 37th streets.

"DHS listened to us, they heard the voices of the community," Kern said.

More than 800 shelter beds had been placed on those two streets, which neighbors said had given rise to a burgeoning drug market, increasingly visible mental health crises and a perceived loss of safety on neighborhood streets.

"After continued consultation with Manhattan Community Board 4, who asked if we could consider adjusting distribution of emergency COVID hotel locations within the district, we identified an available alternative location where we and our not-for-profit partner NAICA believe we can better serve and continue to protect approximately 300 clients currently residing in the district.," DHS spokesperson Neha Sharma said.

Sharma said the new hotel has more amenities and recreational areas, and is closer to houses of worship and other community support systems.

"This is a win-win for everyone," Kern said.

In October, neighbors formed the Hell's Kitchen Neighborhood Coalition to push the city to reduce the concentration of shelters. They tried to distinguish their effort, however, from groups on the Upper West Side who pushed aggressively to relocate the Lucerne Hotel shelter, resorting to lawsuits and sometimes dehumanizing language in the process.

"We are a neighborhood that does not say no. We welcome social services, we welcome people that are having difficult times in their lives," resident Joe Restuccia said in October.

The move to the Sheraton could begin as soon as Friday, Kern said, citing conversations with city officials. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer went to the Sheraton on Friday, packing welcome kits of hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment for the residents ahead of their arrival.

Since last April, the city has moved about 10,000 people from congregate shelters into more than 60 hotels as an effort to reduce crowding and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Related coverage:

• Another Shelter Battle Brews In Hell's Kitchen As New Group Forms
• Hell's Kitchen Board Implores City To Reduce Hotel Shelters