{"id":363400,"date":"2026-10-03T02:12:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T02:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/363400\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T02:12:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T02:12:32","slug":"lawmakers-force-inspection-of-nyc-veterans-shelter-amid-federal-funding-tempest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/363400\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawmakers Force Inspection of NYC Veterans Shelter Amid Federal Funding Tempest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two City Council members entered a homeless veterans shelter in Queens<\/a> against the staff\u2019s orders Thursday as they and other lawmakers ramped up pressure on the Mamdani administration to explain why it rejected federal funding for beds at the facility.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the legal authority to enter to provide oversight\u201d of city shelters<\/a>, Councilmember Julie Won, who represents the district where the Long Island City site is located, said in front of a metal detector inside the building. Shelter workers told Won and Councilmember Phil Wong \u2014 both Democrats \u2014 they did not have permission to go farther inside, but the pair did anyway and later said the conditions they saw were alarming.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was not meant for residential living,\u201d said Won, who waited more than three hours to go past the metal detector as the staff told her she could not enter, according to her office. She said the conditions they observed were not \u201chumane living,\u201d the bed areas were cramped and both staff and security guards pressured her and Wong to leave.<\/p>\n

\"VeteranVeteran Jose Rivera outside the Borden Avenue shelter, Oct. 1, 2026. Credit: Ben Fractenberg\/The City Reporter<\/p>\n

The lawmakers\u2019 visit comes after The City Reporter broke the news last week that the city had turned down a federal grant<\/a> to support the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence over concerns the award would have required the city to discriminate against transgender veterans. <\/p>\n

The grant agreement, city officials said, contained clauses from President Donald Trump\u2019s executive orders barring the promotion of \u201cgender ideology\u201d<\/a> and \u201cdenial of the sex binary.\u201d But the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said the city\u2019s allegation about such a requirement was \u201cfalse\u201d and the city \u201cvoluntarily withdrew from the grant process\u201d after learning of the award\u2019s \u201cterms and conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile Thursday, two City Council<\/a> committees scheduled an Oct. 21 oversight hearing on the city\u2019s handling of homeless veterans<\/a>. Councilmember Frank Morano (R-Staten Island), who chairs the veterans committee, said he will make the Borden Avenue controversy a \u201cmajor focus of the hearing,\u201d where the Department of Homeless Services \u201cwill have an opportunity to explain publicly why the city chose to walk away from\u201d the VA\u2019s Grant and Per Diem program, which has funded the site for nearly two decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also want to understand why this had to be an either-or choice,\u201d Morano said in a statement Thursday. \u201cIf the city disagrees with a federal policy, it can challenge that policy, but I want DHS to explain why it couldn\u2019t preserve available federal funding while ensuring that every veteran, including transgender veterans, continued to be served.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018No Justification\u2019<\/p>\n

The Mamdani administration told The City Reporter that the VA offered about $1.3 million for 44 beds at the Borden Avenue shelter for the grant beginning Oct. 1, the start of the federal fiscal year. DHS said that was down from roughly $4 million for 154 beds for the last grant, out of more than 200 beds at the facility, which also receives city funding.<\/p>\n

Mamdani spokesperson Sneha Choudhary said the shelter\u2019s capacity and services will not change and the department will cover the cost of the foregone $1.3 million. She said the city charter does not authorize unannounced inspections of city shelters and Council members must get prior approval to visit them accompanied by a representative from DHS or its parent agency, the Department of Social Services.<\/p>\n

Councilmember Joann Ariola (R-Queens), who has been pushing for answers about why the city exited the GPD program, slammed the city for giving up the funding.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bottom line here is that DHS walked away from over $1 million, and New York City\u2019s taxpayers are left footing the bill,\u201d she said in a statement. \u201cEven if we accept the DHS interpretation of the VA grant agreement, there would still be plenty of other beds outside the parameters of the GPD grant that would be available for use by transgender veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"QueensQueens Councilmembers Julie Won, left, and Phil Wong prepare to enter a Long Island City veterans shelter, Oct. 1, 2026. Credit: Ben Fractenberg\/The City Reporter<\/p>\n

In a statement later Thursday, Won and Wong confirmed their visit was unannounced and said Council members \u201chave a mandate under the city charter to perform oversight and investigative duties\u201d over city agencies and operations. They accused City Hall and its shelter contractors of \u201cputting up roadblocks\u201d to their ability to do their jobs.<\/p>\n

The VA declined to confirm the figures provided by the Mamdani administration and referred to previous statements saying the department determined it \u201ccould not justify a larger award\u201d than what it offered after reviewing the Borden Avenue shelter for \u201cpast performance, demonstrated need and ability to provide high-quality service to veterans.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe records will show what happened in the funding dispute between the city and the VA,\u201d Michael Matos, president and co-founder of the advocacy group Five Borough Veterans, said in a statement. \u201cUntil then, there is no justification for keeping City Council members out. Denying oversight of the veterans in the city\u2019s care is a disservice to them and to the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shelter Conditions Under a Microscope<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Department of Homeless Services veterans\u2019 shelter on Borden Avenue in Long Island City, Sept. 24, 2026. Credit: Ben Fractenberg\/The City Reporter<\/p>\n

After Won and Wong inspected the shelter Thursday, they said they saw multiple tarps and buckets under the ceiling to catch water from roof leaks. They described a general lack of privacy for the residents, including in the bathrooms and showers, as well as dim and flickering lights.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is about fixing a decades-old problem,\u201d Wong told The City Reporter outside of the facility. \u201cIt has gotten worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

In their statement, the lawmakers said they also \u201cheard repeated complaints about poor food, violence, alleged drug activity and other conditions residents say have gone inadequately addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur veterans served this country and deserve dignity, safe conditions and accountability from their government,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n

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