Please check your facts before reporting. The facts are that many of the SROs on the UWS were ILLEGALLY converted from single room occupancy apartments, whose tenants had protected rights under the rent stabilization laws from eviction to CHEAP hotel rooms for Euro-trashing tourist who came into our neighborhood to buy drugs cheap and party into the early morning hours. What the State Law did was to prevent these landlords from operating hotels for tourist-druggies and prostitutes (note Gov. Patterson carried on his affair with another woman for months in one of these so called hotels) and compelled the landlords to restore the buildings to SROs. Community activisits, who number less than 100, were in favor of getting rid of the SROs and converting them, against the LAW, to hotels. What we have with the Hotel Alexander on West 94th Street is a landlord who was approached by a non-profit which helps find shelters for the homeless signed an agreement to convert his property from an illegal hotel into a shelter for 200 homeless men. This, the owner did as he wanted to maintain his income as he made more money from the illegal hotel than he would if he restored his property to an SRO. The remaining 7 SRO tenants have been offered a relocation to the adjacent building and compensation of 3 years free rent and $50,000 cash payment for their inconvenience. Very, very generous and only a fool would pass on. Again, please check your facts for the next story.

The law is the law and the owner of the Alexander has already signed an agreement to lease his property to a non-profit agency which will house 200 homeless men. What's wrong with that? Do we need to see more men die on the streets? No! If we can save even one life, we can save the world as the expression goes. Do we Upper West Siders really want to be responsible for the death of a homeless man? No. Do we enjoy seeing homeless people sleeping on our sidewalks? No. In front of stores? No! Panhandling at bus stops and subway stations? No! It is better that these unfortunate people have a place to go to at night and hopefully this non-profit will provide these men with proper counseling to get them back into our society as productive members. What's wrong with that? Our society has laws to protect dogs - just as Michael Vick. Our society has organizations like PETA to advocate for protecting baby seals, elephants, and to stop people from wearing fur coats while at the same time, the homeless are neglected. So, why can't we help the homeless? Who is trying to stop the Alexander from becoming this shelter? A few loud mouths who are more interested in protecting the value of their bare-bone coops which they over paid for than the sancity of human life. This is ridiculous. West 94th Street between West End and Riverside has always been a run down street with five SROs. This block's reputation can only be improved with the conversion of the SRO Hotel Alexander into a homeless shelter. All that is needed is to have in place at least two social workers and two security guards around the clock to provide the necessary help these homeless men need as well as to provide security both inside and outside the building. The politicans who passed this law should be congratulated. How about starting a campaign to "Save the Homeless from Dying." The people of West 94th Street should welcome this homeless shelter and bring these men who are coming inside off the streets coffee and cookies and become a good neighbor.

Most likely, the homeless shelter will cost a lot more money to house the same residents per night.