Report: Judge clears way for men's intake shelter to open on 3rd Street

A State Supreme Court judge has cleared the way for the city to relocate its main intake shelter for homeless men to 8 E. Third St. near the Bowery, ending a legal challenge that had delayed the move for more than a month.

As reported by The New York Times, Justice Sabrina Kraus ruled yesterday that the city provided a rational basis for moving the intake operation from the deteriorating former Bellevue intake center on East 30th Street to the East Village facility to the Renewal on the Bowery facility. 

Neighbors who sued to block the move argued that converting the site into an intake center — where people typically stay only a few days — would have a different impact on the neighborhood than the substance-abuse shelter that has operated there for decades. They contended that the change should have triggered additional public review. 

In her ruling, Kraus acknowledged residents' concerns and frustration over not having an opportunity to weigh in on a decision that could affect the character of the block, but said the court could not substitute its judgment for that of the city.

Attorney Randy Mastro, who represents the residents challenging the move, told the Times that his clients are considering an appeal. 

The city announced plans in March to move the intake operation to 8 E. Third St. after determining that the longtime men's intake center near Bellevue was in poor condition and needed to close immediately.

Project Renewal was founded in 1967, and the organization has used the spaces at 8 E. Third St. and 333 Bowery for decades.

Report: Rushed shelter shift tied to death, raises questions about East Village Intake plan

Kenton Hall on the Bowery 

A rushed city effort to close the longtime Bellevue intake shelter and shift services to new sites — including facilities on the Bowery and Third Street in the East Village — has drawn scrutiny after a man died by suicide following an abrupt relocation, according to a report by Politico. 

Steven Rosa had been staying at Kenton Hall, a behavioral health shelter in the East Village, when he was told to pack up and move the next day to a hotel in Brownsville, Brooklyn. 

Family members say the sudden transfer — which may have fallen short of the city's 48-hour notice standard — disrupted his care and support system. He was found dead in early April. 

The move was part of the city's push to vacate the East 30th Street intake center near Bellevue and convert two East Village sites into new intake facilities. That plan required relocating hundreds of shelter residents from both Bellevue and the East Village buildings. 

Advocates had warned that quickly moving vulnerable residents — many dealing with mental health and substance use issues — could pose serious risks if not handled carefully. 

The intake-site plan, including the East Village locations, is now on hold after a judge paused the rollout amid a lawsuit from local residents who say the city bypassed required review and notice processes. 

Read the full Politico article here. 

A community task force, VOICE (Village Organization for the Integrity of Community Engagement), has organized a petition, which "demands that the City rescind the emergency orders which have bypassed community safety." 

Find the petition here.