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The NY Times reports that the Department of Homeless Services is enacting a new policy giving shelters more power to evict homeless families: "Homeless families can be kicked out of city shelters for repeatedly breaking rules like staying out past curfew or for refusing apartments offered to them." While DHS Commissioner Robert Hess claims it'll be used only in "egregious situations," pointing out some families use the shelters as permanent housing, Legal Aid's attorney in chief Steven Banks said, "With all of the problems that the state has and all of the problems that the city has right now, in the midst of this economic downturn, it’s shocking that the state and the city are prepared to invest the resources to put innocent children and their families out of safety-net shelters onto the streets." But one shelter operator said, "There’s not a caseworker alive that wants to realize that threat, and as an agency, we don’t want to move people to the streets. That’s not what we’re in business to do. But if you enter the shelter, if you know there’s a threat of being put out of the shelter, you’ll be more likely to follow the rules."
Homeless Can Be Evicted From Shelters Over Violations
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It's the same media that NEVER mentioned Muslims' hatred of Israel as a possible motive for 9/11.
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Makes sense, though I'm sure some human rights group will complain. It's no one's right to live in a public shelter, especially when they're not following the rules.
Personal responsibility.
Apparently certain homeless people need to be reminded that they're in a homeless shelter, not a hotel.
if legal aid feels so strongly about it, why don't they open some shelters?
More homeless will feel comfortable going to get care and rest in the shelters if the rules are actually enforced. Legal Aid is picking the wrong fight on this one.
Great idea!
Maybe this will help to impart some order in those who need it.
The people who are already there will probably be safer.
The staff will have more time and resources to help those who want it.
If a homeless shelter can't put up with you, it's a good bet most landlords won't want to either.
Then they can get right into a NYC Housing apt where you don't have to follow the rules, have pets, felony convictions, subsidized parking, and a low chance of ever get evicted.
is there a policy to stop spending whatever money you have on the latest Air Jordans?
I wish the pan handlers on the subway would be a little more creative.
Food for thought:
When i was 11 (in the 90's), my family was homeless due to domestic violence. My mom eventually got a job and worked long hours to save up enough money to move out of the shelter. She also did not want me to attend the in-shelter "Education facility", because she felt it was a joke, it was basically a daycare for maladjusted kids. not an actual school.
her long work ours coupled with travel time to pick me up from school led to curfew violations. We eventually got kicked out for not following the rules.
These rules are sound in theory, but sometimes hurt more than they help.
*hours, not ours.
roncore, i hope the situation is better now for you and yours.
i also have a couple of questions - was it very much like a hotel there at the shelter? and did getting thrown out on the street teach your mom anything about personal responsibility?
thanks for your answers.
My mom knew everything about personal responsibility before she was in the shelter. If she learned anything, it was that systems may be paved with good intentions, but they are run by idiots.
Shelters are nothing like hotels. You have caseworkers, people threatening to steal your things and hurt you. You sleep on cots in a room the size of a gymnasium no more than 2 feet from someone else. It reeks of urine and feces. I was 11 years old, the other kids my age scared the shit out of me, most of them were poorly raised and not watched after while there. My mother did everything she could to get us out of there and make sure that I stayed in a stable school.
My mom willingly left a household with an abusive man for the safety of herself and her children. She was unemployed in the shelter, and looked day and night for a job, she got a job, took her kids to school, and got kicked out cus she wasnt there enough. she didnt have enough money saved up to get a place of her own yet, but she continued to work and get back on her feet. My moms personal responsibility was the well being of her family, which she had before she got there. The shelter taught her nothing
our situation is wonderful. I'm college educated and gainfully employed. My mother now investigates welfare fraud. My brother is in the Navy.
systems may be paved with good intentions, but they are run by idiots.
Herein lies the entire potential problem with this policy. It makes sense on paper ("Hey, let's get rid of troublemakers so we can help people who want to be helped!"), but the policies will be implemented and enforced by morons (or worse, corrupt individuals).
I used to work for a shelter, and I can tell you, our shelter was nothing like the one you are discussing. Our women lived in a two bedroom apartment with their children. Other than the people who worked there, no one else had the key to the apartment. We also had a curfew, but if you have a legit reason (such as work, or picking up children) you could get an extension with no problem.
I feel that these rules are necessary because even in our accommodating shelter people would disregard our rules and do whatever they wanted, and it was very hard for us to kick them out because of this. I understand living in a shelter sucks, but the rules are there for a reason.
Roncore, that's a rough story with a happy ending, nice to hear. I wouldn't call your case an exception, but it does sound as though your experience taught you that many residents of homeless shelters are not as disciplined and driven as your mom was (and thus you and your brother), which I'd imagine is a serious problem in trying to help people lift themselves out of their destitution. Not sure what to say about that other than the fact that it only further complicates the nature v. nurture argument.
Wooden_shoes, also nice to hear that at least some shelters are not as horrid as the one Roncore had to deal with.