2 new homeless shelters coming to the Bronx via Turning the Tide program

Two new homeless shelters are heading to the Bronx as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's Turning the Tide program.

News 12 Staff

Jan 9, 2020, 12:00 AM

Updated 1,796 days ago

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Two new homeless shelters are heading to the Bronx as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's Turning the Tide program.
The Department of Homeless Services announced last month that two new shelters will be opening in Community District 9, both for families with children.
One of the shelters is set to open at 1144 Evergreen Ave., with a room for 51 families. It is expected to open in the middle of this year. Another shelter is expected to open at 951 Olmstead Ave., with room for 161 families.
Construction started a few weeks ago with an expected opening in 2021. District Manager William Rivera is concerned about the additional shelters.
DHS says the new shelters are necessary. As part of the mayor's program, five cluster sites in CD9 will be phased out.
A statement from DHS reads in part, " These high quality facilities will offer families with children from the Bronx the opportunity to be sheltered in their home borough, closer to support networks and communities they called home as they get back on their feet."
Some local leaders and residents are not on board. "We need housing - but this is not the answer," said resident Aurora Carrion.
Carrion has seen a lot living on Bruckner Boulevard for nearly five decades. The co-president of the building doesn't want to see another homeless shelter in the neighborhood.
Rivera says they have tried their best to inform residents about the incoming shelters, such as Carrion. "You have a lot of people who really don't know what's being built," said Rivera.
Carrion tells News 12 that she plans on meeting with residents as soon as Wednesday night to inform them about what's being built. Community Board 9 also plans on meeting sometime in the next month to decide its next course of action.