West 83rd St. Homeless Safe Haven Opens, Only With Harsh House Rules

A new facility for unhoused residents at 106-108 W. 83rd St. has opened after protracted wrangling with some strident UWS locals. The facility promises benefits such as regular meals, in-house psychiatric care, and job training for a host of vulnerable New Yorkers. At a March Community Board 7 meeting attended by local District 6 Council Member Gale Brewer, board members such as local pastor K. Karpen expressed hope for the incoming facility, saying that “I’ve lived in the 80s since the 80s. We’ve needed this type of facility for a long time.”

Of course, as is the case with any debate over a new shelter in the neighborhood, there wasn’t perfect consensus. In a May 5th resolution ultimately blessing the shelter, CB7 “strongly urged” that local schools, the NYPD, and Breaking Ground–the nonprofit running the show for the city’s Deparment of Homeless Services–collaborate moving forward to ensure the “safety of students and families in the area.” They also wanted a minimum of 60-day advance notification from the Department of Homeless Services for future shelter openings, rather than the current 30 days.

While generally supportive of the opening, Gale Brewer had also expressed qualms about the shelter in an April 17 letter to Department of Social Services head Molly Wasow Park, requesting that the facility be limited to two beds per room instead of four.

However, the strongest salvo came from Maria Danzilo, a local gadfly and occasional political candidate vociferously opposed to liberalism and leftism. She had previously mounted a quixotic bid for the State Senate, losing to Brad Hoylman-Sigal in a Democratic Party primary by over 50 points before running in the general election under the “Parents Party” umbrella...and losing by more than 85 points.

Clearly not to be deterred, Danzilo’s latest adventure has been the proclaimed formation of a nonprofit named One City Rising. In a July 16 letter obtained by the West Side Spirit, she claims that her group’s mission involves addressing “crime, homelessness, unsafe streets from unregulated electric vehicles and dismal education outcomes that are hurting an entire generation of NYC’s children.” One of the first undertakings of the group would be continuing her war against the W. 83rd St. Breaking Ground shelter.

Danzilo’s letter made some interestingly triumphant proclamations to that end. She lists numerous “provisions” she says she had obtained from Breaking Ground, which she says would correct what she perceived as deficiencies in the facility’s rules. The rules would now supposedly include a smoking ban, curfew, and a ban on “loitering” or “panhandling.” She also wanted 24/7 security guards that won’t consist of “inexperienced minimum wage individuals.” She also seemed to cast doubt on Breaking Ground saying that they were screening for sex offenders, making the inflammatory assertion that they were merely “claiming” to do so.

While Danzilo may not have entirely succeeded in transforming a facility meant to support unsheltered people and get them back on their feet, a visit to the premises did indicate a wealth of rules prominently displayed in the lobby. Many of them appeared to align neatly with her harsh vision. Sexual activity of any variety is banned. So is smoking, which in fact can lead to discharge. A guard was positioned next to the door.

While a curfew didn’t seem readily apparent, and an employee at the shelter couldn’t speak to the existence of one, quiet hours are expected to be followed between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

“Our team is ready to provide low-barrier transitional housing with high-quality social services and healthcare onsite, all with the goal of helping each person find permanent housing. Tackling our homelessness crisis is a collaborative effort, and we look forward to serving the Upper West Side community and remaining good partners for the long term,” a spokesperson for Breaking Ground told The West Side Spirit.

Maria Danzilo did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.