The Bellevue shelter on E. 30th Street
Photo by Dean Moses
The historic Bellevue homeless shelter for men and adult families on the East Side of Manhattan will close before the end of next month, according to multiple reports.
The nine-story, city-owned building, located at 400 E. 30th Street, has served for decades as an emergency take-in center for men and adult families new to the city’s extensive shelter system. Part of Bellevue Hospital’s old psychiatric ward, it can accommodate approximately 850 people, but around 250 residents currently live at the site.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement that his administration will close the shelter due to safety concerns.
“My administration is focused on ensuring every New Yorker experiencing homelessness not only has access to shelter, but to spaces that are safe, humane and truly livable. We cannot accept a system that treats people without dignity or stability,” Mamdani said in a statement. “As we move forward, our city will double down on protecting the safety, continuity and quality of services — because every New Yorker deserves a secure place to rest, to recover and to rebuild their life with dignity.”
The story was first reported in Gothamist.
Bellevue shelter residents to move Lower East Side
The Mamdani administration said homeless men will begin going to 8 East 3rd St., and adult families will go to 333 Bowery, on the Lower East Side starting on May 1 for intake services.
Everyone still at Bellevue will be transferred to a shelter in Brooklyn until permanent housing is arranged, the article read.
In addition, the city will be engaging in a “large-scale communications campaign across the region” to update the public on the relocation of the central intake facility. The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will also maintain a small presence on site for at least a year after the closure to greet anyone who may come to the location for services and direct them to the new location, Mamdani explained. Direct transportation will also be available throughout the day. Simultaneously, DHS is working with partner agencies and City Hall on a long-term redevelopment plan for the site.
The NYS Comptroller’s Office conducted an oversight report of the shelter in 2015, finding that it had deteriorated to such a state that “conditions could not be addressed by a traditional plan of corrective action.”
But it also found that the site could not be closed due to the number of people it sheltered.
“Further, due to the size of the population served, officials indicated that closing the facility is not a viable option since neither the [Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance ]nor the DHS has the ability to place over 800 individuals elsewhere in the homeless shelter system,” the report found.
Homeless advocates react with concern
Advocates for the homeless expressed outrage and concern about the impending closure on Thursday, noting the short-notice announcement and the detrimental effects it will have.
“Any disruption to this critical front door to shelter — especially on short notice — risks creating confusion and additional hardship for people who are already experiencing homelessness,” the Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless said in a joint statement.
Serious questions remain regarding how quickly the city is moving on the closure, as sudden shifts could result in more homeless individuals on the streets or people reluctant to seek assistance, reps for the organizations said.
“Abrupt changes could leave people sleeping outside longer or deter individuals and families from seeking help,” the statement noted. “Current residents of the on-site shelter will also need to be relocated, and the city must ensure any moves are handled carefully and in ways that fully meet people’s access needs.”
The closure follows a recent cold snap in NYC, which left at least 16 people dead, prompting scrutiny regarding the mayoral administration’s effectiveness in its outreach efforts to the homeless during the extreme weather.
