Just after 4 p.m. this afternoon, a Beth Israel ambulance and a police car were idling in front of the building, and Molly Mattimore, Francesca Rossi, Kristi Kimmerle and Dan Danaher were seen hanging out nearby. They seemed to be waiting for something, or someone...
After about 15 minutes, several E.M.S. workers and two police officers went into the building accompanied by Ms. Rossi. Butch was seated in the lobby in his usual spot, and the police officers approached him and started talking. Apparently they were there, with the E.M.S. staff, to take him to the hospital to have a medical evaluation. He wasn't much interested in the idea, and claimed he sees a doctor here on Thursdays, and stated that he doesn't trust doctors. The officers asked him whether he had anything dangerous on his person, and he said he had a cellphone. They asked again and clarified, explaining that they were interested in weapons. Long story short, he wasn't technically being arrested, but the evaluation wasn't an optional "suggestion", either.
It wasn't pleasant watching a neighbor being hauled off to the hospital that way, but his behavior in public has been extremely unpleasant for a very long time. It's one thing to be drunk, loud, repetitive and hopelessly boring on a regular basis - but quite another thing to repeatedly rant and rave about how depressed he is, get up in peoples' faces, gesturing wildly, yelling at the top of his lungs, practically ordering other tenants to get out of his way and leave him alone just because they also have the misfortune of being near him while he's occupying the lobby (most of the time, they were already sitting there when he walked in) - and then threaten to stab people in the heart. Most of his ranting and raving is about how much he hates other people, and is quite racist and bigoted. He's also threatened to attack a certain tenant's son. For the past few months, he's been looking so out of control that a number of people have wondered how long it would be before he actually snapped and got physical with people. He flipped out after a community meeting several months ago after several tenants brought up the fact that it would be nice not to have the curfews applied to the community room and lobby any more, and one tenant pointed out that one of the problems with the curfew is that it's a response to folks like Butch getting into altercations and sleeping in both areas.
Our Security Director's response to violent activity in the building is usually to tell people to call 911. We have surveillance cameras all over the building monitoring what tenants are doing - and several have been added in the last year. The lobby and community room have had curfews applied in response to altercations between a few tenants; the curfew affects the entire building. Management has no problem banning tenants it doesn't like from using the computer room or going on movie trips because those are "privileges" rather than "rights". I'd love to understand the logic behind allowing violent, chemically dependent tenants to carry on in threatening, disturbing ways in common areas of the building for prolonged periods of time without banning them because they're creating a nuisance AND potentially unsafe conditions in common areas. The rest of us who pay rent (which covers use of both the lobby and community room) and DON'T create a disturbance when we use those areas are being punished twice - first when we have to put up with people like Butch, and then again when our rights are restricted by Security. Cameras don't prevent problems or crimes. Follow up by live humans who are willing to be accountable for the job they're being paid to do would make more sense. Ralph Garcia makes a lot of rules, but the rules are illogical and don't make the building any safer for the majority of the tenants. If you want more details on what I think about security inside of Kenmore Hall, look at the material I posted on February 15th, which is salvaged from my first tenant blog. Take a look at the post from January 17 for more commentary on use of the lobby and community room.
By the way, H.S.I.'s version of "supportive housing" doesn't help people like Butch out at all; he's one of their most perfect candidates for "help" because he fits the profile that HUD and various supportive housing networks and advocates have been pushing over the past few years. He was homeless for over 20 years (if that isn't a definition of chronically homeless, I don't know what IS) and he's clearly alcoholic - he stinks like a brewery most days, and the drunker he gets, the meaner he is. Drinking affects his personality. See the video clip in the sidebar to the right for a very brief example. Although H.S.I. claims that Kenmore Hall is a permanent supportive housing facility, they have a track record of completely ignoring some of their more extreme tenant-clients for long periods of time, letting them run amok while they interfere with their neighbors. These tenants are struggling with a cluster of problems and issues that need to be dealt with, and which H.S.I. is supposed to be receiving government funding to address - but they're totally dropping the ball. Part of what supportive housing is supposed to accomplish is assisting people like Butch become more self-sufficient and independent, able to function more normally and maintain their income and housing so they don't become homeless again. H.S.I. claims to be able to deliver this type of program more efficiently and cheaply than many other alternatives. Where's the proof?
I'd love to hear what others think about this. Feel free to comment.
Butch was back in the lobby by midnight, sitting in his usual chair. I guess the hospital didn't keep him for observation or treatment. Or maybe he just walked out on his own.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Sunday, June 8, 2014
The Hot Water Saga Concludes
I stopped by the front desk around 5 on Saturday afternoon and asked the staff there (VERY politely, by the way, because I assumed they'd been asked that very question many many times already) when they thought the hot water would be back on, and was told (very nonchalantly) that someone was working on the boiler and that the hot water would be back on sometime Sunday or Monday. The fellow telling me this couldn't even be bothered to turn around completely to face me while speaking as he leaned back casually in his chair. Hello? MONDAY? Really? And this is the freakin' boiler they were working on for most of a week just a couple of months ago to ensure that we had better water pressure and more hot water? I (again, very politely, and without raising my voice) asked if he realized that it's ridiculous to have the hot water out for that long in a residential building, and probably worth a call to 311 to report a violation, and he copped an attitude. It's so much fun dealing with the new front desk staff; they haven't been here all that long, they're very young, and they can't seem to wipe the smug disdain off their faces while they're talking to tenants - they're just plain RUDE most of the time. I realize that they don't have to give a damn, and that they simply don't, but someone early on forgot to teach them the basic manners the rest of us were taught as a matter of course. The older staff, who have been here for quite a while have a totally different attitude. It's called respect.
Interestingly enough, when I got back, not only was the hot water back on, but another tenant told me that they'd actually found a practical use for that computer they've got in their plexiglass cage - a sign had been put up explaining the progress with the repair. Which, by the way, could have been done HOURS EARLIER that day, saving a lot of hassle for tenants who already have lowered expectations about the building's maintenance, because if it's not one thing, it's another - usually two broken elevators at a time for over a week.
Interestingly enough, when I got back, not only was the hot water back on, but another tenant told me that they'd actually found a practical use for that computer they've got in their plexiglass cage - a sign had been put up explaining the progress with the repair. Which, by the way, could have been done HOURS EARLIER that day, saving a lot of hassle for tenants who already have lowered expectations about the building's maintenance, because if it's not one thing, it's another - usually two broken elevators at a time for over a week.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Business as usual...
So. We've had no hot water in the building for hours, and the front desk says that someone is working on the boiler right now. Meanwhile, when I was in the lobby a few minutes ago, two of our maintenance staff members were overheard asking each other which one of them was supposed to be working on the boiler. Do you think it's time to phone 311 and let them know that we don't have hot water?
Friday, June 6, 2014
Invitation: You're Invited to a Discussion on Affordable Housing @ Tue Jun 24, 2014 8am - 11am (Kenmore Hall Tenants Association)
You're Invited to a Discussion on Affordable HousingThe Care for the Homeless Policy Committee is sponsoring a presentation and discussion on New York City's new Affordable Housing Plan and Homelessness in New York City. The free program led by Policy Committee Chair Barbara Knecht, Policy Director Jeff Foreman and Care for the Homeless client leaders is open to the public but requires reservation by advance RSVP. The program will be held at 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24th, at the CFH Conference room on the 5th floor at 30 E. 33rd Street in Manhattan, and will be repeated at the same location and time on Thursday, June 26. Advance reservations (subject to space limitations) are available by contacting policy@cfhnyc.org. Download the printable version of this month's Policy Matters newsletter here.
Going? | ||||||||||||||
Invitation from Google Calendar You are receiving this courtesy email at the account emilyholiday.khta@blogger.com because you are an attendee of this event. To stop receiving future notifications for this event, decline this event. Alternatively you can sign up for a Google account at https://www.google.com/calendar/ and control your notification settings for your entire calendar. |
You're Invited to a Discussion on Affordable Housing
| The Care for the Homeless Policy Committee is sponsoring a presentation and discussion on New York City's new Affordable Housing Plan and Homelessness in New York City. The free program led by Policy Committee Chair Barbara Knecht, Policy Director Jeff Foreman and Care for the Homeless client leaders is open to the public but requires reservation by advance RSVP. The program will be held at 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24th, at the CFH Conference room on the 5th floor at 30 E. 33rd Street in Manhattan, and will be repeated at the same location and time on Thursday, June 26. Advance reservations (subject to space limitations) are available by contacting policy@cfhnyc.org. Download the printable version of this month's Policy Matters newsletter here. |
Saturday, May 31, 2014
IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT MOVING OUT...
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Friday, May 30, 2014
Fwd: RSVP to the Summer Solstice Celebration on June 21st!
|
Care for the Homeless | 30 E. 33rd St. | Fifth Floor | New York | NY | 10016 |
"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Facility Manager, Kenmore Hall
Now we know what the "head superintendent" is supposed to be doing... and why did it take so long to get around to posting the job? It's been vacant for months!
Facility Manager, Kenmore Hall
Job posted by: Housing and Services, Inc.
Posted on: May 27, 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Invitation: Met Council on Housing @ Weekly from 1:30pm to 5pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday (Kenmore Hall Tenants Association)
Met Council on HousingCall their Tenants' Rights Hotline at 212-979-0611 with questions
Going? | ||||||||||||
Invitation from Google Calendar You are receiving this courtesy email at the account emilyholiday.khta@blogger.com because you are an attendee of this event. To stop receiving future notifications for this event, decline this event. Alternatively you can sign up for a Google account at https://www.google.com/calendar/ and control your notification settings for your entire calendar. |
Thursday, May 22, 2014
I realize that this may seem off topic because most of the blog deals with tenants' rights and related issues, but many of our tenants are veterans. The following article may have an impact on their benefits - but there's still a few months in which petitions can be signed and sent to the Mayor and City Council; letters can be written, and phone calls made.
This article appeared in Gotham Gazette online.
This article appeared in Gotham Gazette online.
Veterans Benefits Counselors at Risk in Budget
(nycmarines via flickr)
In mid-2013 the Robin Hood Foundation gave the City a $250,000 grant through the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York. The money would pay for the salaries and training of three veterans benefits counselors for one year. The counselors, formally called Service Officers, act as a resource point for veterans asking about and pursuing their benefits from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The counselors assist veterans in preparing paperwork and guide them through the life of a claim.
The grant is slated to expire by September of this year. Its terms stipulate that if the program is successful, the City could pick up the tab for the three positions moving forward. Despite the success of the program, funding for the benefits counselors was not included in the mayor's preliminary budget, leaving veterans advocates to wonder how the counselors will be funded.
"We are making a positive impact," said Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) Commissioner Terrance Holliday by phone May 1. "I want to see this thing continue in some form, but I have to have that discussion with City Hall."
Gotham Gazette spoke with the Robin Hood Foundation, which confirmed it will not fund the program past the life of the grant. If the positions are not funded when the mayor's executive budget is released on Thursday, the positions will be on track for termination by September unless funding comes from elsewhere. Emails to the mayor's office were not returned.
For its part, the City Council did include a request for $400,000 in additional funding for MOVA in its response to the mayor's preliminary budget.
The veterans claims counselors at MOVA have become a useful resource for helping the city's veterans navigate a federal VA dealing with an excess backlog of claims. In recent years, the number of claims, as well as the length of time claims sit open, has grown exponentially. This has been fueled by the increase of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as rules allowing more Agent Orange-related, Vietnam era claims to be filed.
In May of 2013 there were 880,000 open VA claims nationwide, 68 percent of which had wait times over 125 days, according to data on the VA website. The average wait to close a claim was 272 days.
MOVA benefits counselors do not process the claims directly, but receive training from the State VA office to learn the system. The idea behind creating the counselors' positions is that if the paperwork is submitted correctly and to the right department the first time, the process would be expedited, the total number of claims reduced, and veterans would receive benefits more quickly.
The VA has implemented a variety of new processes and procedures to expedite VA claims, with benefits counselors playing one role, and combined efforts have worked to bring claims numbers down nationwide. In the May 5, 2014 report from the VA, there were 590,000 claims pending of which 308,000, or 52%, were over 125 days old.
Since they do not resolve claims, there is no data to show what kind of direct impact the three benefits counselors funded by the Robin Hood Foundation are having on claims numbers. Holliday said since they completed their training and began work on October 1, 2013, they have seen over 300 veterans, exceeding the goal set forth in the grant by 100.
Holliday said he would not credit any drop in claims numbers solely to the benefits counselors, but said they are another important access point for veterans to get their claims resolved.
Joseph Bello, a U.S. Navy veteran and a veterans advocate who runs NY Metro Vets, said the idea of utilizing the counselors in lieu of veterans working on the claims themselves has picked up in the veterans community.
"As we have gone along and more people are starting to find out about the program, they want to get to these counselors because they are doing a good job," Bello said by phone May 2.
Bello said if the City does not pick up funding for the three benefits counselors, veterans would be able to find new counselors through private organizations or the State, but that a switch could easily delay the claim because the new counselor would have to pick up in the middle of the process. Bello added that there are also significant issues of trust because these counselors are dealing with extremely personal issues - issues like physical disability, emotional and psychological trauma, and residency and job security.
"Like any relationship, you want to feel comfortable with that individual when meeting with them," Bello said of the veteran-counselor relationship. "There has to be some sort of trust because this individual is handling your disability claim with the VA."
Bello said he hopes to see the funding picked up by the City.
"If veterans agree this has been a successful program, then I don't understand why we would discontinue this program," Bello said. "There has to be a way the administration can re-fund it and keep the program going."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)