By Serena Solomon
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — Less then a week after an Upper West Side community meeting became a passionate protest against a new homeless shelter for women, the Department of Homeless Services is rethinking the plan.
Community Board 7 was notified on Feb. 8 that the department intended to open a transitional shelter for 135 women at 237 W. 107th St. By using an "emergency declaration" due to the rise in homelessness in the city, the normal community approval process was bypassed, raising alarm bells with residents. Concerns also rose when it was learned a controversial landlord was involved in running the shelter.
"We are evaluating this property and are looking into community member allegations against the landlord," said department spokeswoman Kristy L. Buller in an e-mail. She said a decision would be made after the matter was investigated.
At the CB 7 meeting last Wednesday, community members raised concerns about landlord Mark Hersh, the West Side Spirit reported, who had a reputation for threatening tenants and had previously been the subject of a Village Voice article where he was accused of going after tenants with a baseball bat.
HELP USA, the organization that would have been in charge of the shelter, also announced it was pulling out.
"We understand DHS is looking into this, but we have decided not be a long-term partner in the project," a spokeswoman said.
Mel Wymore, the chair of CB 7, has been working with Borough President Scott Stringer's office and the department to develop a solution.
"It is looking very positive in terms of them listening to the concerns of the community in regards to housing and the landlord and looking into longer term solutions," she said.
Rev. John Duffell of the nearby Church of the Ascension has worked with homeless people for 15 years, and is hopeful the building will be converted back to SRO housing as a way of preventing homelessness in the first place. SRO housing provides low-income residents with a single room apartment at a discounted rate.
"Neighborhoods are only as rich as they are diverse," Duffell said.
The matter will be discussed on Tuesday night at the full board meeting for Community Board 7 at 6:30 p.m, St Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital at 1000 Tenth Ave.
