Residents oppose 'safe haven' shelter

Critics of a proposed 'safe haven' plan for homeless people in the South Bronx explained why they oppose it Tuesday. The 13-bed facility would help homeless people off of the street and into a bed

News 12 Staff

Aug 24, 2016, 2:02 AM

Updated 2,794 days ago

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Residents oppose 'safe haven' shelter
Critics of a proposed 'safe haven' plan for homeless people in the South Bronx explained why they oppose it Tuesday.
The 13-bed facility would help homeless people off of the street and into a bed at 1177 Hoe Ave., but safe havens are less regulated than other shelters.
"Basically what that means is that they will pick anyone off the street, and they will just bring them in to the safe haven, and they will give them a bed," says Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr. 
That's one reason why residents are worried.
Salamanca says he supports helping the homeless, but notes that the surrounding area is already home to multiple other shelters and the problems they bring to a neighborhood.
"We have a problem with one over here -- if one more shelter comes in, we are going to have more problems," says Franco, a neighboring homeowner.
The city's Department of Homeless Services says it has not yet made a final decision regarding the site and would not do so without public input. Salamanca says he is confident he can stop the current proposal.


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