Homeless Complaints Spike After Lucerne Hotel Becomes UWS Shelter

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Complaints to 311 regarding homeless people have skyrocketed in a four-block radius on the Upper West Side since the highly publicized move of 283 homeless men into a neighborhood hotel.

The Lucerne, on the corner of West 79th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, became a shelter on July 27 — the most recent of three hotels in the area to receive homeless clients as a way to relieve pressure on other shelters during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Belleclaire Hotel on West 77th Street and Broadway is home for 288 clients who moved in at the end of May and the Belnord took in 100, also in May.

The Lucerne received most opposition, partly because its clients were men with substance abuse issues.

The 311 data shows a spike in the number of Upper West Siders calling 311 to make related complaints since July 27.

Patch looked at 311 complaints filed exclusively for incidents that occurred between West 77th and 80th streets on either Broadway or Amsterdam.

Complaints to 311 regarding homeless persons fall under two categories: "Homeless Street Condition" or "Homeless Person Assistance."

Next, the information was broken down into three categories:

1. The number of related 311 complaints from 77th to 80th Street on Broadway or Amsterdam from July 6 to July 20, before shelter residents moved into The Lucerne.
2. The number of related 311 complaints from 77th to 80th Street on Broadway or Amsterdam from July 27 to Aug. 10 (July 27 was when shelter residents arrived at The Lucerne).
3. The number of related 311 complaints from 77th to 80th Street on Broadway or Amsterdam for the July 27 to Aug. 10 time period in 2019.

Here's what we found:

• Homeless-related 311 complaints in the area from July 6 to July 20: 3
• Homeless-related 311 complaints in the area from July 27 to Aug 10: 32
• Homeless-related 311 complaints in the area from July 27 to Aug 10, 2019: 8

The numbers show a more than tenfold increase in homeless-related complaints after the shelter residents were moved into The Lucerne on July 27.

The 32 complaints made to 311 for incidents occurring from West 77th to 80th streets on Broadway or Amsterdam Avenue from July 27 to Aug. 14, 2020, are a 400 percent increase from the eight filed during the same period and area in 2019.

Though descriptions are generally given about individual complaints, none of homeless-related complaints made during the 2020 periods that Patch examined had that information.

READ MORE:

• UWS Hotel To Become Temporary Homeless Shelter For 283 People
• Remove Sex Offenders From UWS Hotel, Council Member Demands
• UWS Pol Changes Stance On Sex Offenders In Neighborhood Hotel
• Dueling Hotel Homeless Shelter Petitions Divide Upper West Side