Shelter intake operations begin on Aug. 1 at two East Village locations

Starting tomorrow, Aug. 1, the city's Department of Social Services (DSS) will begin operating its new intake center for single adult men at 8 E. Third St., officially relocating the service from the longtime Bellevue intake shelter on East 30th Street. 

The move comes after a delay caused by a legal challenge from neighborhood residents. Last month, State Supreme Court Justice Sabrina Kraus ruled that the city had a rational basis for relocating the intake operation from the deteriorating Bellevue facility to the Project Renewal building on Third Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery, allowing the plan to move forward.

According to DSS, the Bellevue intake center — which opened in 1931 — is in severe disrepair. The city previously stated relocating intake operations is part of a broader effort to modernize the shelter system and has already moved hundreds of assessment beds from the site to other locations. 

DSS said a small staff presence will remain at the 30th Street location for at least a year to direct anyone who arrives there to the new intake center. Transportation between the two locations will also be available.

Separately, intake for adult families (families without minor children) will relocate to 333 Bowery between Second and Third Streets on Aug. 1.

The relocation has drawn sustained opposition from neighborhood residents and a few elected officials, who have argued that converting the site into a citywide intake center will have a greater impact on the neighborhood than the substance-use treatment and shelter services that Project Renewal has operated there for decades. 

City officials have maintained the move is necessary because of the deteriorating conditions at Bellevue.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Report: Judge keeps East Village intake center plan on hold 

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

• Lawsuit filed to block East Village shelter plan; residents launch petition 

• Residents question city’s plan to shift shelter intake to the East Village 

• Community meeting set on proposed intake relocation to East Village 

• Bellevue Shelter closing; intake shifting to East 3rd Street and the Bowery

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.