The Borden Avenue Shelter in Queens, which houses about 200 veterans facing homelessness, is facing scrutiny from residents and city officials over conditions at the facility and a loss of federal funding.
“They’ve got everybody sleeping on these plastic mattresses, instead of sleeping on a regular mattress,” said veteran James Porter, who has stayed at the shelter for the past six months.
Veterans have described cramped living conditions, security concerns and infrastructure issues. Several pointed out that parts of the building are covered by tarp due to a leaking roof.
“I get upset. You know, what can I do? They know what’s going on. They’re not going to do anything about it,” veteran Ralph Galimi said.
City Council members heard those concerns at an oversight hearing Wednesday. The hearing came as the city is set to step away from a federal grant program that the shelter has historically relied on.
According to Frank Morano, chair of the Committee on Veterans, the number of homeless veterans in the city is nearly 700. The number is down from more than 1,500 in 2015, but up from nearly 500 in 2022.
“This increase is raising a lot of important questions about whether existing housing resources, supportive services and homelessness prevention efforts are keeping pace with current needs,” Morano said.
Last month, the city said it withdrew from a federal grant program operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Officials said the agency offered up to $1.3 million this year, compared with nearly $4 million in previous years.
Department of Social Services Commissioner Erin Dalton said the city made the decision because accepting the funds would have required city officials to turn away transgender veterans.
“For DHS to agree with and comply with the grant’s terms and conditions, we would be in violation of state and local laws that protect people from discrimination on the basis of gender,” Dalton said.
Dalton said the Department of Homeless Services will use city tax funding to make sure services continue and beds remain open.
After receiving complaints about a lack of privacy between showers, she said the agency plans to install particians between all 32 showers within the next six to eight weeks.
Officials also plan to undergo a $4.3 million capital improvement project for roof repairs that would begin in 2027 and continue through the end of 2029.
Michael Matos, president of veteran-advocacy group Five Borough Veterans, has concerns the change in funding sources could delay future improvements that he says the shelter desperately needs.
“How can we expect an actual fulfillment in [regard] to that promise of funding when they can’t identify where it’s coming from?” Matos said.