Social Services: Homeless Shelter a Goner

The Suffolk Department of Social Services confirmed Wednesday that plans for a proposed homeless shelter at 42 Christian Avenue have been nixed.

Ed Hernandez, deputy commissioner of the DSS, told an aide to Suffolk County Legis. Vivian Viloria-Fisher, D-Setauket, that the property has been taken off the list of possible shelter locations and that several other properties are being considered.

Faiza Akhtar, who formed the community group which fought the shelter and is working with Community Housing Innovations to find an alternate location, published the news on the 3villagesonepeople blog on Oct. 29.

Akhtar said group has been told that the level of community response to the shelter was unprecedented.

"[They said] 'No community has gotten together to work this way,'" she said. "This is what's going to prevent future sites from being ... placed in secrecy. Community involvement and input, this positive track that we're on, will allow us to have some kind of say over where the shelter is going to go." 

The move by the DSS came amidst a fundraising effort by the community group to raise funds for a potential legal fight against the shelter. She said just under $10,000 had been raised for legal fees, but that the balance of that amount will be returned to the donors after some legal fees – which Akhtar estimated at under $5,000 – are paid.

Rosemary Dehlow, CHI's chief program officer for Long Island, said in an interview last week the agency had to reject two possible locations in Three Village that the community group had suggested.

Dehlow said CHI had been paying rent to the homeowner, Albert "Twoey" Brayson, and had footed the bill for some physical improvements on the property, but she could not give a dollar amount for what the agency had spent so far.

"We are desperately trying to find an alternative," Dehlow said. "We remain completely open to any suggestions and that we were from the beginning."