By Gus Saltonstall
An Upper West Side organization is mounting a campaign against the conversion of the former Calhoun School building on West 74th Street to a women’s homeless shelter, launching a website and postcard mailing.
“We need your support to send the message that the UWS needs more schools and more permanent housing, not more temporary shelters,” states Friends of the Upper West Side, on its website. “With your support, we can send a message to City Hall that shady shelter deals without community support are unacceptable.”
As reported first by West Side Rag in December 2023, the former school building will become a 146-bed women’s shelter, expected to open this fall.
When the school sold the 127-year-old property at 160 West 74th Street to the investment firm Bayrock Capital for $14 million in the summer of 2023, the building was not expected to become a shelter. At the time of sale, the investment company said that it would be converting the five-story property into a residential building.
At some point that fall, though, the company switched the plans to a shelter.
The Friends of the UWS website includes multiple references to this switch of plans for the site, and also provides a template to send an email to the city about the subject.
The group was formed after a Community Board 7 meeting this spring, which left some West 74th Street residents frustrated, according to its website.
During that meeting, roughly 30 to 40 people, many of whom live near the West 74th Street building, showed up in person, the vast majority voicing their displeasure about the incoming homeless shelter. There were, however, multiple people who spoke in support of the new facility.
Additionally, Open Hearts Initiative, a nonprofit founded on the Upper West Side, which works to help homeless New Yorkers across the city, is leading a push to support the new West 74th Street shelter. The organization has put up welcoming posters around nearby blocks and also has a page dedicated to the new shelter on its website.
“The W. 74th St. women’s shelter is part of an effort to expand shelter capacity in neighborhoods across the city to meet the needs of our homeless neighbors (and provide trained clinicians and staff members who will support residents’ needs),” reads the nonprofit’s dedicated page. “Upper West Siders can and should welcome that!”
It is unclear how many Upper West Side buildings received the Friends of the UWS postcard, but West Side Rag confirmed at least three different residential buildings in the West 70s got it. The postcard shares various details and opinions related to the new shelter, and also a QR code that takes you to the Friends of the UWS website.
The shelter will be run by Volunteers of America, which has signed a 9-year contract with the Department of Homeless Services to oversee the shelter.
You can check out our past coverage, below.
- Former UWS Calhoun School Building Will Be Women’s Shelter For At Least 9 Years: CB7 Meeting
- City Approves Building-Design Changes to Incoming 74th Street Shelter: What’s Next?
- UWS Community Board Votes in Favor of Building Design Changes for Incoming 146-Bed Shelter: LPC Vote Set for Jan. 9
- UPDATE: 146-Bed Women’s Homeless Shelter Opening Fall of 2024 in Former UWS Private School
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I’d be interested in who is actually behind this newly formed so called community organization. They got organized to fight a homeless shelter, have they been supporting construction of new permanent housing that they acknowledge we need on the UWS as well?
UWS Dad,
With respect….based on your various posts you, like many others, are interested in ensuring proper services for people in need – including here people in need of shelter housing.
I don’t mean to be rude but given your comments (unless there are multiple UWS Dad) expressing these concerns, I am puzzled that – based on various other comments – you are not concerned with bus detour impact for elderly/disabled etc due to Open Streets?
I mention this as an illustration that we all have various opinions on issues – but in fact may actually share many of the same opinions.
Yet once someone deviates on one thing, it seems that our inclination is to criticize them?
There are in fact at least 1-2 other ‘UWS Dad’ accounts on here.
I’m not really following your point but building more housing is a good thing and blocking housing under the guise of speaking for the community is bad?
yes, Friends of UWS supports converting the school into affordable housing as well. Our campaign to save the school is part of this two pronged effort.
What are your plans for this campaign besides the much-needed awareness effort? Is there a way to find out the concrete action items being planned?
Opponents to the 83rd Street safe haven put forth a plan for that building to be used as permanent housing.
Just saw a bunch of signs taped on light poles near the site asking the neighborhood to welcome the shelter.
Looks like it’s the same group, given the website design similarity and the lack contact info on both websites.
I do think if this shelter has good social workers, this is a good idea.
Also. “meet the needs of our homeless neighbors, I do not know if the shelters house people based on where they lived.. I think it might be pretty random, where people get housing or shelrer.
The problem is where the services will be provided. The Calhoun School is small. How will it accommodate 146 beds, kitchen, adequate bathrooms, plus offices for counselling, job skills training, etc.? How will this work?
Don’t you think they have a plan for that?
No, they don’t. There is minimal outdoor space that is exposed to several hundred apartments along 74th and 73rd. When the school was in session the kids would play there – no problem. They are gone by 2pm. The noise from this area at all hours of the day and night does not work for the residents of this neighborhood and they have NO plan to address this, as well as the overcrowding.
And I would add that this area will also include an outdoor smoking area. Is this even legal?
No, I don’t. Everything in the Volunteers of America information provided is vague.
I’m interested to know the comparison between UWS and UES number of homeless shelters, anyone have those statistics? Seems UWS is targeted for this and other kinds of housing much more. Wonder why??
There is a shelter for women with mental health issues at the Park Avenue Armory.
Also several sites on the East Side now being used to house migrant families.
I work on the UES and there are several shelters there. I’ve taken the crosstown bus from the UWS to the UES for 20+ years. There are mentally ill men on the street on both ends of the bus line. Forget about the subway. I have plenty of stories to tell (as do others) but I don’t think UWSers really care what’s going on over there unless they’re personally affected by it. Targeted?! You only need to Google Gale Brewer to find out why there are more shelters on the UWS.
Edit: Here’s the link to GB’s website. https://council.nyc.gov/district-6/
UWS was always a mixed-income neighborhood, how horrible if it were that way again.
Why is it that my parents who have worked here for forty years cannot afford to live on UWS while homeless can? Is that just?
If you really wanted to help the homeless rather than fatten pockets of a group of well-connected people, why would you not open these shelters where housing is cheap – say Staten Island (where my in-laws live) or dare I say Buffalo and house ten times the number of people for the same price?
A recent article in AM-NY covered this issue. https://www.amny.com/news/group-upper-west-side-homeless-shelter/ Residents of the block got very little notice of the Community Board meeting. I think that the shelter is not the problem (IF it is well run), but rather the lack of transparency about the process.
I think both are a problem.
As an opponent of the shelter, I resent any stereotypical reference to us as NIMBY’s. I am a progressive Democrat who does not want my taxpayer dollars to the tune of $100M over ten years to go to a private equity firm, for a building that has been a school for over 100 years and will best serve this community as a school. Given the new state mandate we are in dire need of more classrooms. This decision to build a shelter was a short-term bandaid that harms the city’s long-term needs. I urge Mayor Adams to reverse this decision
I know it has a negative stigma that implies hypocrisy, and I’m happy to call opponents by another name that they prefer, but NIMBY feels like an accurate description. The opponents aren’t Republicans who oppose helping the homeless, they just oppose this particular project in their neighborhood. The stated reasons for their opposition are a grab bag of whatever arguments they think might stick –
1) they say they are opposed to a private equity firm profiting from the shelter. But they aren’t pushing for a law that would ban private equity firms from owning shelters in general, or pushing for reform of the shelter system citywide, they just want this particular shelter built somewhere else.
2) they say that we have a shortage of school space, but that they would also support the building being turned into permanent housing (anything but a shelter!)
I think it’s very understandable for people to have progressive political views but not be crazy about living next to shelters, but opposing a shelter in your backyard without doing anything about the larger issues that create the need for shelters is extremely short sighted. Powerful neighborhoods like the UWS should be pushing for laws that fix the problems with shelters for everyone, in every neighborhood, and not just shifting the problem elsewhere. If you don’t like shelters and you don’t want to be a NIMBY, then advocate for ending the housing shortage that is driving the need for shelters in the first place and support city wide shelter reform!
The neighborhood and the residents of the UWS will be far better served with this landmark building remaining a much needed school or permanent housing. A shelter with 146 people plus 15 will pack folks in like sardines in this small brownstone on a very quiet narrow street? Where will the garbage go and food deliveries? In addition, it is a ripoff of NYC taxpayers, who will be lining the pockets of a private equity firm with obscene yearly payments and no work on their part.
We beg Mayor Adams to cancel this and keep Calhoun a school for the underserved.
It may be better for the neighborhood, but a shelter is what’s best for the whole city.
No, it’s not best for the whole city. The problem with large shelters is that they are ineffective. Washington managed to reduce homelessness by 73% by launching small short-term family housing program and stepping away from large scale shelters.
https://ich.dc.gov/page/homeward-dc-20-ich-strategic-plan-fy2021-fy2025
Of course, small projects are nowhere near as lucrative for private equity owners as industrial sized shelters receiving tens and hundreds of millions of taxpayer funding. Isn’t it telling that large shelters have got higher returns for investors than “luxury developments”?
“Isn’t it telling that large shelters have got higher returns for investors than “luxury developments”?”
I’m trying to think of how anything other than this could be possible? There is no empty land in Manhattan, so new shelters need to be built on existing properties. There is some public property that the city is working to develop, but the vast majority of potential shelter sites are privately owned. In order to turn private property into a shelter, the city either needs confiscate the property (not an expert, but I assume that would face legal issues) or pay the owner a market price to get them to sell, which means a return equal to or greater than what the property owner could get from an alternate use like housing.
The city either has to just take the land, or pay for it, and the price they pay *has* to be comparable to what the owner could get from luxury housing! I’m not sure what other scenario people are imagining.
So is the problem that it’s a private equity firm hoovering up taxpayer funds for shelter contracts?
Because it never seems to have been a problem before for politically-connected real estate families to suck on the teat of the public sow for decades, with their family members on the boards of ‘non-profits’ running the shelters.
But a private equity firm? THIS we cannot HAVE!
Bravo. How many UWSers made their fortune in exploitive real estate?
There are adult shelters being opened throughout Manhattan as well as concern by neighborhoods impacted.
For example, there are plans for a shelter on Beekman Street near an elementary school and another shelter on Pearl Street next to an elementary school.
https://nypost.com/2024/06/22/us-news/nyc-opening-adult-homeless-shelter-next-to-pre-k-5-school/
I don’t understand why shelters aren’t being opened on the outskirts of the boroughs where there is land and buildings available as well as transport into the city, if needed. Clearly space is the main concern for housing the homeless and getting them back on their feet. Also taking many homeless out of their element, often helps get them back into rehabilitation & into society. Building these shelters in the middle of the problem, smells like developers are doing a money grab for their buildings while the going is good – it does not feel like a way to help the homeless and unsheltered migrant families.
Can we get an update about current conditions at homeless shelters on 83rd st between Columbus and Amsterdam.
The situation there seems to be deteriorating since it opened up – with people hanging around the entrance to the building, drinking alcohol and leaving open food containers on the steps.
There is a scaffolding there now with no sign of any construction going on.
The conditions on the steps and surrounding area seemed to have deteriorated further since the scaffolding went up.
I would like to add here this never happens on the upper east side. Perhaps it’s their turn to share this responsibility and establish shelters there.
One reasons is that their Councilmember, Julie Menin, is much more vocal about representing the actual opinions of her constituents.
The Upper East Side is in two council districts, west of Lexington gets taken care of a lot more than east of it.
Shelters are inded the answer to providing homeless with shelter. Shame on affluent people who want to pretend they don’t exist, who won’t do their share of providing shelter. But it’s okay to dump them all in poorer neighborhoods? If you can’t stand it, move to the UES.
This neighborhood has done more than its fair share though. That’s the issue. Why are all of them dumped here?
Meanwhile city is set to open a brand spanking new homeless shelter at 537 West 59th street.
From Chelsea to UWS and further north west side of Manhattan has more homeless shelters, supportive housing and so forth than any other area of NYC I shouldn’t wonder. This not counting all the hotels city has contracted with to provide “temporary” housing for homeless.
Keep voting same representation in office in Albany and city hall, it’s working out swell so far….
Open Hearts Initiative also supported the Lucerne Hotel being turned into a homeless shelter for men. The few members of Open Hearts I spoke with didn’t live in the neighborhood. But they set up tables outside the shelter giving away used clothing and other things, putting food out for the shelter people, writing messages in chalk all over the sidewalk. When some of us complained about the police and ambulances being called daily, drug overdoses inside and outside, drug dealers setting up shop on Broadway – they used the word NIMBY about us. Having security and cameras inside the shelter is fine – but security guards are needed outside in the neighborhood as well.
You are so right. Does the city take into account the disruption on this small street? The numbers of food trucks, security, garbage pick up and other needed services that this street can not accommodate for 146 women? And WHY if the city needs classrooms, do they take a perfectly good school and spend taxpayer dollars to convert it to something else? The private equity firm makes 10M per year with NO investment, except the purchase of the building.
So what are the next steps? I ask this not to be challenging at all, but out of interest for our block.
How much of the money is going into the city’s pockets?
Imagine fighting this hard to stop homeless women from having housing. What an embarrassing use of time, energy, and money. Find some compassion. Shame!!!!
Can we please stop with the shaming! I have a right to my opinion as you do with yours. How do you know I (and others) have no compassion? How do you know about my experiences in my life and what forms my concerns? No one is trying to stop homeless women from being housed, no one.
This right here….I am not commenting on the shelter at all but the endless shaming of people who disagree with a person’s position beyond tiring. I was lucky enough to attend a small gathering a few years ago and in attendance was a former public official (congressman, worked in the white house and cabinet member). I asked him what he thought was wrong with politics these days and his response was one that I truly believe is the root of so many problems — there is no listening, no talking, no compromise, it’s become a world of my opinion is the only opinion, I am right and you are so wrong.
Let’s stack the kids in crowded classrooms and stack the unfortunate homeless in buildings unfit for purpose!
It’s mind-boggling, given the recent mandate for smaller classroom sizes, that the Mayor is not stepping in to stop the conversion of a purpose-built, 140+ years old school into a shelter. Whilst the City does need more shelter spaces, is converting a school, rather than the thousands of empty square feet of space in vacant offices and vacant buildings in the city, the right answer?
As City taxpayers, why are we lining the pockets of an anonymous owner, hiding behind shell companies to protect their identity, with lucrative returns. My understanding is that the building was sold in 2023 for $14M, and the owner has an outstanding mortgage with M&T Bank for $9.6M. According to public records, DSS pays between $188 and $383 a night for a person in a shelter.
Do the math – assuming $267 per person per night times, then 196 people times 365 nights a year times 9 years (the typical length of a DSS shelter contract) the City pays Volunteers of America (the shelter operator) about $172M over the 9 years.
That’s $172M of taxpayer money going to the shelter provider and the unknown building owner. It’s a better return for the owner than the return they would get from housing. This particular owner has apparently purchased other buildings in the city that will yield similar returns for shelter operators and itself.
Good business indeed for shelter operators and anonymous owners, but the unwitting participants are the city taxpayers, and at a cost to the quality of the education our younger citizens need.
Mr. Mayor, you have a chance to do the right thing and help clean-up the corruption in the shelter business and the shady deals of greedy investors! Time for some transparency here!
This is an excellent analysis and explanation of the problem with 160 West 74th Street being used as a shelter. Thank you!
And when one looks at the website, there’s no contact information.
So this looks like just a funds grab attempt.
What website?
Regarding Ms. Julie Menin (reply button doesn’t work..), she has proven very progressive when it comes to housing on UES. So far much of that has been “affordable” or “low income” lottery housing. However, she has also joined fights to have homeless shelters open on UES.
https://www.ourtownny.com/news/e-94th-st-tower-project-reaches-deal-to-boost-affordable-units-lower-height-IY3221965
https://patch.com/new-york/upper-east-side-nyc/stop-blocking-ues-shelter-neighborhood-leaders-tell-eli-zabar
https://patch.com/new-york/upper-east-side-nyc/ues-homeless-shelter-east-91st-st-moves-forward-welcome-center
Looks like a done deal for the women’s shelter.
Why is the City leasing real estate in some of the highest priced areas of NY. The City could house triple the amount of people in larger buildings in many other parts of the city. There are people getting rich on these so called non-profits. So much corruption in NY behind the scenes profiting off the Homeless.
The upper west side has voted for progressives ever since Moses was in short pants. A little late to complain now
Generalizations like calling all upper west siders affluent is shameful. This form of stereotyping denies the fact that the upper west side is made up primarily of hard working families who love their children and want them to be safe. It also ignores the fact that upper west siders are deeply involved in helping people who are suffering the devastating reality that it is to not have a place to live.
Housing mentally ill people, people with criminal records, drug dependencies, and people who only have to sing a sheet of paper to spend the night at these shelters — specially in from of a school like it is the case at 83rd street between Columbus and Amsterdam Ave – is something that should concern us all.
Converting a school into a homeless shelter is also something that should concern us all.
Criticizing those who are concerned that investors are making millions at our expense is also shameful. More so when it comes from the mouth of a politician who is supposed to represent our interest.
We speak up because our families are the ones that bear the cost pain and burden of special interest initiatives to house the homeless in less than optimal conditions. The city doesn’t care.
As an example of how much the city cares about how their initiatives or lack thereof affect our lives – read a recent story written about a scaffolding that has been up for decades on broadway making the block where it stands inaccessible unsafe and a horror to walk on. .
Well said. Thank you.
There were buildings on 76th and 77th that got this in the mail too.
It’s disheartening to see people support a hastily constructed shelter where 146 women will be cramped into dorm-like conditions. Using what seems like non-unionized workers to rush the construction speaks volumes about how little they genuinely care about addressing homelessness.
This project seems more about creating an illusion of action while funneling profits to a private equity firm, rather than truly helping those in need.
As a long-time resident and mother in the Upper West Side, it’s clear that the city’s approach is misguided. In the meantime, the real needs of the community, such as affordable housing and more schools, are being ignored. Instead of this superficial solution, they should engage with and listen to the community to address our needs!
If you see work being done after normal hours, and there is no off-hours permit posted in the window, you can file a complaint with the NYC Department of Buildings. There are two open complaints at the moment.
What is ridiculous is how much money these non-profits and building owners make from the homeless and the city. Everyone in the entire city sees the lack of accountability and lack of proven results and no one does ANYTHING. Yet, we’ll keep letting it happen. How many local ‘clients’ of the your nearby shelter do you see walking around all day, disturbing passers-by and businesses, usually drinking. I see it every single day. No accountability and they have no shame in taking taxpayer money while laughing to the bank. This city is so corrupt and no one stops it because the same people are voted in again and again.
We should do this to more unused real estate on the Upper Westside of Manhattan. Maybe the city can work to convert the old food emporium/ Lowes hardware store across from the AMC to help out those in need.