Jan Peek House/CHHOP Planning a Move

The board of directors of Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP) announced today that the organization’s facilities, including the Jan Peek House shelter, will move to a new location at 851 Washington Street in 2019-2020. While the shelter will not be expanding in size, the new location will allow CHHOP to provide enhanced services to its clients, including many veterans.

A major attraction of the new facility will be a dedicated space where those in need of emergency services can stay during the day. At present, those individuals must leave the shelter at 6:00 a.m. on most days because CHHOP does not have space to accommodate them. They often end up with no place to go and are out on the street. Additionally, there will be an area for people to drop in, have a cup of decaf, play a game of chess or checkers, and get to know CHHOP staff. This builds trust and can lead to homeless individuals getting the treatment and support services they need.

“The new space is immeasurably better than our current facility and will allow us to better serve our residents,” said Executive Director Cynthia B. Knox. “We have started the process of obtaining permits and intend to engage the Peekskill community.”

Ms. Knox elaborated on the advantages of the new location. “The current accommodations are dormitory style, with little privacy,” she said. “This constrains our residents’ ability to develop the daily living skills that they need to obtain and retain permanent housing. The new site provides for shared rooms by a couple of residents, as well as a kitchen rated for cooking, rather than just warming. In addition to providing a place in which our many community volunteers can prepare dinners for residents, a cooking kitchen will allow CHHOP to prepare and serve more nutritious meals to residents.”

Other plans for the new facility include moving the entrance to the back of the building as well as creating a covered outdoor space. Another highlight is an exhibit area designed to bring different parts of the community together by staging events, such as showcasing residents’ artwork.

The architectural plans for the Washington Street facility call for environmentally sustainable features such solar panels to provide a portion of the center’s electricity needs. Also envisioned is an advanced stormwater management system called a rain garden.

In addition to the Jan Peek House, CHHOP runs four other programs. These include:

• Fred’s Pantry, a choice food pantry that provides nutritious groceries to over 400 people each week,
• Health Care for Homeless Veterans, the first and only program in Westchester County that provides residential, clinical, and treatment services for those who have served our country,
• Turning Point, a supportive housing program for chronically homeless individuals that includes assessment, life skills training, crisis intervention, and other support services to address the underlying causes of homelessness, and
• New Start, a rapid rehousing program to help survivors of domestic violence and homeless veterans attain self-sufficiency. This program includes referrals and linkages to vocational services.

The management of CHHOP will provide regular updates to the public as plans for construction at 851 Washington Street unfold. A date and time for an open community meeting will be announced shortly. In the meantime, to view drawings of the layout of the new facility, visit our website.