Quaglione to de Blasio: Tell the truth about shelters

Quaglione: Prior notice must be given for hotels housing the homeless

October 23, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Photos courtesy of John Quaglione

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On Thursday, Republican City Council candidate John Quaglione held a press conference in front of the notorious Prince Hotel at 315 93rd St. regarding the possible use of the hotel as a homeless shelter in accordance with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plans to take over hotels throughout the city and use them as housing for the homeless.

Residents of the neighborhood and people living on the blocks surrounding the Prince Hotel have long complained that the building is a hotbed for drug use, prostitution and other criminal activities.

According to an Oct. 12 report in the Daily News, de Blasio said that it is not necessary to provide advance notice in instances where housing is temporary, and 30-days-notice when the shelter usage is ongoing.

Quaglione called the mayor “out of touch” and said that he has failed on his promise to address the homeless situation and this is just another example of his “Band-Aid, quick approach” of trying to solve a problem.

“It’s bad enough that de Blasio is making the homeless hotel operators richer by using our taxpayer dollars to fund the for-profit homeless industry,” said Quaglione. “Now he won’t even let the community know if he’s planning to house the homeless in our own neighborhoods. Does he think we’re stupid and we won’t find out?”

In a letter to de Blasio, Quaglione cited the universal pre-K 315 93rd St. that is opening on the same block as the Prince Hotel. In the letter, Quaglione writes, “I demand you give 30-days’ notice when homeless will be housed in hotels in our community. A new UPK is currently under construction on the same block, and it is only proper for your administration to provide notice to residents of the community in advance.”

The issue has raised concern from residents of the neighborhood, especially those with school-age children.

“My youngest daughter will soon be going to pre-K,” said Quaglione. “You’re telling me if I send her to the pre-K located by the hotel on 93rd Street, I won’t be given sufficient notice if homeless move in? It’s just plain wrong…”

Furthermore, Quaglione urged the administration to avoid opening any homeless shelters or housing homeless in hotels on the same street as a school.

He offered his own plan to fix the homeless crisis plaguing our city.

“Instead of using our tax dollars to fund the for-profit homeless industry, we should invest in NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority), fix vacant apartments to shelter the homeless and keep families together,” said Quaglione.

At press time, no other politicians responded to de Blasio’s plan.