Judge Debra James has now announced that the homeless men who’ve been temporarily residing at the Lucerne Hotel since late July will in fact be moving to the Radisson Hotel at 52 William Street in the Financial District. The exact timing of this move is not yet clear.
LUCERNE HOTEL SHELTER TO CLOSE DOORS
The move downtown was initially expected to take place in early October, but once it was announced, a group of downtown residents formed a Facebook group in protest, and the same judge filed a temporary restraining order to postpone the move and to schedule a later court date to determine the future living arrangements of these men.
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Members of the West Side Community Organization, lead by attorney Randy Mastro, have been the primary advocates for the relocation of these men since they arrived. A spokesperson for the group sent us a statement saying that “[the group] today applauds the Manhattan Supreme Court’s decision to allow the City to proceed with its plan to move the residents at the Lucerne Hotel to a better, safer, and more comprehensive facility in FiDi (52 William Street) that offers individual rooms, on-site medical and addiction services, recreational space, and job training/placement programs.”
The group’s statement also mentioned three deaths which have taken place at the hotel since the men arrived, noting that “Project Renewal [the organization which has overseen the site] has made no statements about the death or whether it might be Covid-related.”
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On the other end of the months-long feud have been members of UWS Open Hearts Initiative, who have fought to keep the temporary homeless residents here at the 79th Street hotel. They’ve released a statement written by a resident of the Lucerne who goes by “Da Homeless Hero,” which reads [in part] that “… even though we didn’t get the outcome we wanted in court, by fighting and speaking out against this inhumanity, we have already won. Because we fought, we have maintained our dignity, to tell the city that while they may be able to move our bodies on a whim they cannot silence our voices. Because we fought, residents are better served with on site services, and we have generated a shelter model that works better for residents and the community. Because we fought, 30 of us have moved into permanent housing – the city figuring that was the only way to keep us quiet.”
He also stated that he and UWS Open Hearts “… exposed the Mayor, the City, Randy Mastro and his clients as utter liars,” and that “they care very little for us experiencing homelessness and more about their agendas.” His full statement can be read here.
The full ruling from Judge Debra James can be viewed here.
Let’s be VERY clear about what happened here. The ONLY legal winners were the mayor and the City. UWSSS and WestCo had a pyrrhic victory at best (in as much as the men will be moved), given that they were not even granted standing to sue. And Fi-Di Safer Streets (the downtown NIMBY group), which filed the original lawsuit, was also rejected, since they were NOT granted the TRO they sought.
This effectively sets a precedent that NIMBY-minded community groups have NO legal standing to either prevent or cause the movement of homeless people within the shelter system.
The residents won a partial victory, since the judge DID grant them standing to sue, but ultimately ruled against them, in favor of the City. So they won a much more important and significant LEGAL victory than the NIMBYs.
The judge’s ruling was simply an acknowledgement that the Court had no “subject matter jurisdiction”; i.e., that the City has the absolute right to administer the shelter system in whatever way it sees fit. Period. It is NOT a win for the NIMBYs, despite the fact that they are spinning it that way.
Whatever . . .
Get them out.
I’m curious. Given that the men have robust services both onsite and elsewhere (putting the lie to the argument that they are not receiving adequate services and would get better or more services downtown – which itself is a lie, since they will be losing services), and that any “conditions” A FEW of them might have created at the beginning have long since been eliminated, what is your rush to have them removed?
“[WestCo} today applauds the Manhattan Supreme Court’s decision to allow the City to proceed with its plan to move the residents at the Lucerne Hotel to a better, safer, and more comprehensive facility in FiDi (52 William Street) that offers individual rooms, on-site medical and addiction services, recreational space, and job training/placement programs.”
Almost all of this is a lie. The new facility may or may not be “safer,” but it is NOT “better” or “more comprehensive.” In fact, the residents will LOSE services. This has been acknowledged by both the residents and the service provider. As well, they will lose all the extra services provided by Open Hearts and Goddard, including 50 jobs that the men have been doing. Those jobs are not lost.
As well, the residents already get “on-site medical and addiction services” and “job training/placement programs.” As for “recreational space,” there is admittedly more at the Radisson, but such space exists at the Lucerne.
WestCo and UWSSS has been regurgitating this same misinformation since the beginning. Yet it has not been true for months.
I am also sad to report that, despite getting what they wanted, members of WestCo are STILL coming around and harassing the residents. In fact, I was witness to this on Thanksgiving Day, when Open Hearts was providing free Thanksgiving meals through Goddard. Talk about insensitive and mean-spirited!
Thank you Ian for your compassion and ongoing clarification of this challenging situation. I am saddened to hear that Lucerne residents are being moved yet again, like so many inconsequential houseplants. Very disappointed in the Mayor who caves so easily to the super privileged, selfish and noisy minority in our neighborhood, betraying his own progressive values and public health concerns. I hope these residents will soon find comfort, services, permanent housing ultimately, and the help they need.
Thank you for your own kindness and compassion. The blame ultimately lies with the mayor, who did not so much “cave in” to a lawsuit as to “help out” his friend, Randy Mastro. The entire thing is political. It has NOTHING to do with the men’s health or well-being. Although UWSSS and WestCo were responding to misinformation and perception when they hired Mastro, it was Mastro’s friendship with the mayor that clearly “sealed the deal,” since WestCo was ultimately NOT granted “standing” to sue.
This was a political favor – with ZERO regard for the lives or welfare of the men – nothing more, nothing less. Infuriating and sad. 🙁
Ian, I am afraid, you have been the one spreading misinformation on these sites. You keep calling anyone who has a different view from you about the Lucerne as liars and heartless and lots of other name-calling. Jus look at what you started to post here multiple times! When called out for why you seem to be so mean spirited in your tone, you say you are like Jesus since Jesus spoke in hate too which is kind of laughable. And yes I guess you think you are more knowledgeable than a state supreme court judge who finally gave the right verdict on this matter. You would like to name call a judge since you know better. Another thing that is laughable.
You will do us all good if you stop your biased and seemingly personally motivated attacks which do not help at all. You are not speaking the truth, you are speaking “your biased and hateful” truth.
You call anyone who says anything about the Lucerne a liar while it is clear that there are addicts in there, they misbehave, drink and do drugs and yes overdose and die but that is ok in your world, the men are doing fine and you are willing o sweep that under the rug as the truth that does not matter.
The homeless people at the Lucerne are not ALL fighting so hard to stay there but only a few who have become famous and also have recently been spreading some hateful language. The homeless moves and temporary housing is not your decision. The court finally correctly stated that this is not a matter of their jurisdiction and it is the city’s. The judge should have thrown out the case in the first place. It is true though that we have a larger issue at hand about how the city and DHS are dealing with homelessness despite the 10 billion budget plus the federal emergency funds that they are receiving. It seems that there is a lot of corruption and mismanagement that this case has exposed. We should all then get on with demanding the DHS to be more transparent and to show its citizens that they are improving services and how they manage their budget.
So many have died at The Lucerne. They lack services and have suffered as a result. The new place gives them a chance. All they had here was to sit on benches on Broadway sharing alcohol and drugs. Such a disruption yo the neighborhood and not fair to these men. Wish them all the best. Bye!
Actually, you are incorrect. First, only three people have died since they moved in in July, and one of them was a staff member who died of a heart attack. And two deaths among 283 men with substance use or mental illness happens every day in the congregate shelters. It is not unexpected, or even avoidable.
Second, you keep repeating that they “lack services.” This is simply untrue. They have robust services, and have THRIVED as a result. You do understand that repeating the same incorrect information does not make it true.
Third, you are wrong that “all they had” was to sit on benches. They had recreational space that included everything from 12-step meetings to game nights. In fact, there is LESS outdoor space for them in the new facility than there was here. At least they HAD the benches. No such thing, much less a nearby park, exists where they are going.
Finally, “sharing alcohol and drugs” MAY have been true in the first couple of weeks, but that behavior was largely curtailed. And btw, they have just as much right to sit on those benches as you do.
Ultimately, your comment is full of misinformation. I am saddened you still buy into it.
Oh Reverend Ian you’re so easily triggered. Good little snowflake. I don’t debate with you cause you’re too narcissistic to allow another’s voice to be heard. I offered to meet you in person before and you bailed wussy. There are NO services. The man was coughing blood the whole night and got no help. Hugs to you and Helen Rosenthal. Who actually doesn’t even live in the UWS
LOL. Again, the mere repetition of a lie does not make it truer. How the heck would you know what services they are or are not getting? Have you been there? Have you spoken to any senior staff member? I PROVIDE one of the services, and am in the building regularly, and interact with the men regularly, so I KNOW what services they get. I’m sorry you cannot get past yourself and your own hatred and mean-spiritedness to accept fact and truth.
As for meeting you, I don’t remember any such invitation. But I definitely couldn’t have “wussed out,” since even if you made such an invitation, you did not provide a specific place and time.
And your “tale-telling” of “coughing blood the whole night” and “not getting help” is an outright verifiable lie.
But I think you LIKE lying and provoking; that is clearly your nature.
You’re so Angry for a religious person. And so proud and strong behind the keyboard wussy. I’m right down the block from the Lucerne. I see the destruction of these people every day. About time they’re moving. So finally you can shut the fuck up
You would be funny were you not so pathetic.
You do know that Jesus got angry, too, right?
How do you know that the people engaged in the “destruction” are men from the hotel and not “street homeless?” The question, of course is rhetorical. You don’t. Unless you have a book of photographs of the men at the hotel, and match them against the people you are seeing, all you are doing is scapegoating the men at the hotel for “destruction” that they are not responsible for. And what, exactly, do you mean by “destruction?”
You need help. 🙂
You’re an Angry little man. Soon to be Irrelevant again. Hopefully you follow the caravan down to FiDi where you can best serve yourself
Angry? No. Deeply saddened.
And while I WILL continue to provide my services to the men after they move, I will also continue to provide my services to the homeless of the UWS, as I have done for over 17 years.
What have YOU done, except complain and be a mean-spirited curmudgeon?
LOL. I cleaned up many crack pipes and needles on the streets here. I also do Safety Patrol to protect people from being accosted from Lucerne residents while they’re eating outdoors. Homeless is one thing. Mentally Ill Convicted Drug Addicts is different. You wouldn’t know the difference obviously. Maybe you should move with the men? Clean up the neighborhood real good. Bye Lil Angry Boy
What are you, a self-appointed Guardian Devil?
First, I ask again: how do you know that the pipes and needles have anything to do with the residents and not the street homeless? You DON’T. So stop scapegoating.
Second, re restaurants, I went into every single restaurant in a five block radius of the Lucerne, and NONE of them had any problem with the residents. in fact, the owner and GM of Nice Matin (which is in the actual hotel) both said that they have not had ANY problems. And AGAIN, how do you know that the people bothering outdoor diners at all are residents of the hotel and not street homeless? You can’t seem to get this through your head.
As for “differences,” the only difference that matters to me is truth and lies. And you are full of the latter. And the mere fact that SOME of the men had been incarcerated is IRRELEVANT; but you NEED to bring it up to add to your meanness and hatred.
You really NEED a scapegoat, don’t you?
Wow seems like David is the one who needs some services.
Selfish, why hurt folks already suffering?
Hope they APPEAL decision could send a ripple affect destroying even more lives.
Some members of the bar can be so disappointing during these unprecedented times.
The human rights laws already fought for and established yet these men’s rights be damned, the intolerant catchment area AD67 & NY-CD10 citizen’s counsel have spoken, whereby, certain community members lives do not matter. Racial disparities in housing & public accommodation violations laws must be enforced. The Mayor & Randy eminent domain what happened 180º flips!
Some of the loudest activist leaders, civil rights legal minds, politicians, and chiefs of staff, treasures, etc etc dwell around the hotel area that was once a great liberal bastion now a fraud. Democratic hypocrisy is glaring with NIMBY even during a Global Pandemic when most folks are locked inside. Those Lucerne men will probably be shuffled here and there until they expire.
Happy Holidays!
Ian, iloveUWS stay strong.
BRAVO, IAN!!
During this unfortunate pandemic–that didn’t have to be this devastating–with so many people suffering on many levels: WORKING people having to rely on food banks; once profitable restaurant owners trying to make ends meet by laying off the majority of their staff, the list goes on. . . Question: Do you ever wonder the story behind the OUT OF BUSINESS signs?
Where do THEY go (just short of homelessness?) If the upper and middle class are suffering, of course the already poor/homeless will suffer more!
During this day of THANKSGIVING, think of what YOU have to be thankful for! Do you still have a job? a roof over your head? food in your cupboards and pantries?
Why take energy to kick those already down?
Wishing you ALL HEALTH, EMPLOYMENT,
PEACE and HAPPINESS!!