Staten Islanders: Updates On Homeless Camp On Forest Avenue, Shelters Planned For Charleston, Bayley Seton Hospital, Also in Queens Maspeth Neighborhood
Editor’s note: Staten Island’s North Shore Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks, a Democrat, recently penned an op-ed in the Advance, in which she stated that there are too many homeless shelters on Staten Island. Not only that, they are all clustered on the North Shore. Staten Island presently has only one shelter that serves homeless MEN (without accompanying women or children), and there is also ONE shelter for victims of domestic violence, at 44 Victory Blvd, called WIN shelter. There is one other shelter, also on the North Shore, at Van Duzer Street, strictly for families experiencing housing instability, also run by WIN and opened in 2024. For a population of 500,000, where one in five children, according to the Department of Education, are in unstable housing situations, this may not be enough. While they are concentrated on the North Shore, that is the most accessible area, where people from other parts of the island can get to with relative ease, and there are more low-income neighborhoods on the North Shore than in other parts of the island. There are two other shelters that the councilmember mentions in the article, which were both temporary and for migrants only.
BP Fossella, Assemblyman Pirozzolo to Publicly Oppose Siting of Any Homeless Shelter on Historic Bayley Seton Campus
Staten Island, NY – Borough President Vito Fossella will be joined by Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo to oppose the use of any portion of the Bayley Seton Hospital campus to site a homeless shelter. This will take place at a press conference at the Vanderbilt Avenue entrance of Bayley Seton Hospital on Wednesday, November 4th at 1:00 PM..
The Bayley Seton Hospital Complex is a longstanding historic site. The facility was Staten Island’s first hospital, originally serving sailors before being expanded for a variety of medical services throughout the years. It was officially designated a New York City Historic Landmark in 1985. Today, most of the campus remains vacant and defunct, with various portions of the campus divided between the City, Salvation Army and RUMC.
However, Borough President Fossella recently learned that the City is in the early stages of developing a 200-bed homeless shelter to be sited on the grounds of the Bayley Seton Hospital Campus. Unsurprisingly, the City appears to have made this decision without prior consultation nor opportunity for input from local elected officials and the residents who will be affected by this project.
If completed, a shelter at this location would further inundate the Clifton section of Staten Island, undermine the North Shore Waterfront revitalization project currently underway there, and drastically jeopardize the quality of life for Clifton residents.
At the press conference, the Borough President and State Assemblyman will publicly oppose any consideration to transform any portion of the Bayley Seton campus into a homeless shelter, in the interest of preserving the quality of life for Staten Island residents.
Homeless camp in Port Richmond:
BP Vito Fossella joined Mario Buonviaggio of the Port Richmond North Shore Alliance to call attention to unacceptable conditions in the neighborhood.
Thank you to DSS Deputy Commissioner Jamar Hooks for his cooperation and commitment to addressing this issue. The City has committed to having this location cleaned up by November 2nd!
Let’s get these individuals the help they need while making sure our residents have the clean, safe neighborhoods they deserve.
These conditions are WRONG for Port Richmond and WRONG for Staten Island!
BP Fossella to Announce ULURP Filing for Elimination of Zoning Provision Permitting Charleston Homeless Shelter
Staten Island, NY – Borough President Vito Fossella will announce that he is filing a ULURP to eliminate the zoning provision permitting the construction of the Charleston homeless shelter at a press conference at Borough Hall on Wednesday, July 1st at 4:00 PM.
The site of the Charleston Homeless Shelter, at 4934 Arthur Kill Road, is zoned for manufacturing. By the text of the NYC Zoning Resolution, any developer looking to build a hotel in a manufacturing zone typically requires a Special Permit from the Department of City Planning in order to proceed; a more stringent process that triggers a review from the local Community Board, City Councilmember, and the Borough President.
However, an exclusion for the Special Permit exists, for any hotel being developed for the exclusive purpose of being operated as a public shelter for temporary housing assistance. This exclusion has protected the Charleston project from a process of greater public scrutiny, and enables its development in an “M”-zone such as 4934 Arthur Kill Road.
At the press conference, the Borough President will unveil the details of a ULURP filing he has submitted with DCP that, if successful, would eliminate the special exemption for hotels in “M”-zones on Staten Island.
An update from Tottenville!
Following BP Vito Fossella’s call for action, NYC Department of Social Services Deputy Commissioner Jamar Hooks has committed to having this location cleaned up on October 23rd, a week from now.
We’d clean it up ourselves, but the law prevents us from doing so.
We appreciate the commitment and look forward to seeing the job get done. The people of Staten Island deserve nothing less!
A Statement from Borough President Vito Fossella on Recent Work at Arthur Kill Road & Richmond Valley Road Site
Staten Island, NY – Borough President Vito Fossella issued the following statement regarding the work being done around the Charleston homeless shelter lot:
“We were notified by residents about some work being done on the lot at the corner of Arthur Kill Road and Richmond Valley Road which includes, in-part, the City’s proposed Charleston homeless shelter.
It is our understanding that the work is related to keeping the lot clean. More importantly, there are still no permits or approvals to do any type of construction, and there have been no public hearings, which we believe must take place.
We remain in absolute opposition to the proposed shelter, and will continue to do all we can to stop it.”
Wong Responds to City’s Plans for New 165-Bed Homeless Shelter in Maspeth
City confirms proposed shelter for single adult men at 55-05 Flushing Avenue
Maspeth,NY – Council Member Phil Wong announced today that the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) has notified his office of plans to open a 165-bed homeless shelter for single adult men at 55-05 Flushing Avenue in industrial Maspeth, near the border of Council District 30.
The proposed facility, which would be operated by Lantern, is one of three new shelters announced by the City across Queens. The other two locations are a 200-bed single adult shelter at 24-30 Brooklyn Queens Expressway West in Woodside, operated by Samaritan Daytop Village, and a 250-unit family shelter at 9-16 27th Avenue in Astoria, operated by Westhab. Both are outside Wong’s district.
“The City just informed my office about this proposal, and I have serious concerns about the location and its potential impact on the surrounding community,” said Wong. “We already have businesses and residents dealing with quality-of-life issues in this area, and adding a large shelter without fully understanding those impacts raises legitimate questions.”
Wong’s office expects formal notification from the City and will request meetings with DSS and the proposed provider to review the plans, including security, operations, and the rationale for selecting this location. A public information session is also expected to follow.
Banner Image: Assemblymember Pirozzolo at press conference. Image Credit – BP Fossella
The Office of the Borough President has a responsibility to advocate for the entire Borough of Staten Island and all its residents, and represents the Borough's interests within City government.
The Borough President communicates directly with the Mayor and the City Council to emphasize Staten Island’s budget priorities.
In addition, the Borough President is responsible for reviewing major land use decisions and proposing sites for city facilities within the Borough.
As the chair of the Borough Board, the Borough President leads Staten Island’s City Council delegation and Community Board chairs in the process of reviewing and approving the transfer of public properties to private use. The Borough President’s Office houses the Borough's Topographical Bureau, which maintains the borough’s official maps and assigns street addresses.
The Borough President monitors the delivery of city services on Staten Island, and acts as a liaison between residents and city agencies when problems arise to devise solutions. The Borough President is also responsible for appointing one member to the Panel for Educational Policy and one member to the City Planning Commission, as well as some 150 members to Staten Island’s three community boards.
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