(MSCC) John Mudd, 4.28.19
We covered a range of topics during our recent meeting: Vouchers, APTs (placement and maintenance), bathroom availability, respite beds, medical respite beds, policies, homeless entering and exiting the criminal justice system, and more.
MEMORANDUM
TO: Committee Members and General Public
FROM: John Mudd, President, Midtown South Community Council
SUBJECT: Homeless and Housing Committee Meeting Recap for Tuesday, April 2nd at 9:30am
HOMELESS AND HOUSING MEETING RECAP:
CHAIR(S): John Mudd chaired (Sharon Jasprizza, committee’s chair, was away); Laurie Hardjowirogo sat in for Matt Green (Matt Green, Councilman’s Corey Johnson’s office, was unavailable).
SPEAKER(S): Cassie Dessalines, Director of Living Room & Safe Haven, BronxWorks: Respite system challenges will be tabled for another date.
POLICY COMMITTEE’S REPORT
The Policy Committee meeting was held on this same day from 8:30 to 9:30am at Urban Pathways, prior to the Homeless and Housing Meeting. The committee reported the following to the Homeless and Housing Committee:
The Policy Committee’s Objectives: Study policies, find inconsistencies, offer fixes, and integrate them into our pipelines. To avoid redundancy, the committee is also tasked with discovering if any nonprofit outreach organization—DHS, DSS, HRA, or inter-governing panels—are developing studies and recommendations to improve current policies (note DHS and HRA are merged).
The Policy Committee recognizes:
- Emergency rooms are being used as respite beds
- Some homeless are found to be living in hospitals
- Boston Health Care is recognized as a leading example of quality medical respite beds (see Addendum A)
- The lack and the importance of hospital respite sites; there are no known medical respite sites in NYC
- Besides the emergency rooms filling in for the missing medical respite sites, some nonprofits with a medical team will assume the role or similar responsibilities
- Star Bright is an example of a facility being used as a medical shelter
- Mental health respite programs exist, however, they will not take a person who is homeless, because you need a home to be discharged to
- Barrier Free Living, now closed, allowed home health aids and operated as a medical shelter, and was also wheelchair accessible
The Policy Committee’s initial tasks are to review:
- The city’s respite beds, vouchers, and other associated policies
- ESN’s/church/non-medical respite site policies
- The gap between non-profit policies and client needs/conditions
- How respite bed policies can serve the individual better
- Voucher use, pipeline, and difficulties
An easily made conclusion is: The medical respite beds are needed for the community we work to serve. And it would serve us well to visit Boston Health Care to examine their respite bed operation. A comparison of hospital and medical respite bed costs would also be useful.
RESPITE BEDS
Non-medical respite beds are underused. There is a policy disconnect: The non-medical respite bed providers/churches’ rules are incongruent, or too stringent, and exclude a good portion of the population that it means to serve. Additionally, some respite sites may be ill-equipped or ill-trained to accommodate emotionally, mentally, or physically impaired person(s), hence, the importance of medical respite beds.
Sean McNamara, West End Collegiate Church, is in the midst of developing a respite site. No new updates (see current status: Addendum B).
PUBLIC BATHROOMS
Last month’s speaker, Monique ‘Mo’ George, Executive Director of Picture the Homeless, discussed their current campaign: “Free To Pee,†APTs and public bathroom access.
APTs
The APTs are self-cleaning toilets. The first one was installed in Madison Square Park.
The cost to use an APT is 25 cents. Homeless and Housing Committee member, Philip Malebranche, accurately points out, “Everything is financial.†The question arose, “Why have the fee at all?†Will the fee discourage use? The 34th Street Partnership’s experience may have the answer…
Between the 25-cent entrance fee and what focus groups described as a profound mistrust of automation in the toilet sphere, use steadily dropped from 28,000 visits the first year to fewer than half that in 2007. —NY Times article, “We Weren’t Quite Ready For The Modern Toilet Ageâ€
The present committee members who were there, agreed that installing APTs and bathroom access should be considered, so the discussion was carried forward to the April 2, 2019 meeting…
What is known regarding the APTs:
- They are manufactured or managed by JC DeCaux jcdecauxna.com
- They were first developed by Clear Channel Adshel in Westminster, England
- There are 20 warehoused self-washing portable toilets (APT) in Manhattan, but only five are publicly placed
- The five APT sites include:
- Madison Square Park (southeast corner on Madison Avenue, just north of 23rd Street)
- Plaza de las Americas (175th Street)
- Fordham Plaza, Bronx
- Corona Plaza, Queens
- Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn
- There is a 15 minute limit per use
- San Francisco has a successful APT program
- What makes San Francisco’s program effective? (This may be worth researching)
Some considerations: The limited time use may be prohibiting, and the subsequent alarm may be panic-inducing. Having limited toilet paper could likely be disconcerting. The fix? A bidet? A self-cleaning and flushing system that detects a human body? Perhaps a little more time with Siri’s voice coaching you through the remaining minutes? Other concerns and experiences have been written about it…
The Gothamist’s 2008 article, “NYC Unveils New Public Toilet, Courtesy Flush Includedâ€
The New York Times article, “We Weren’t Quite Ready For The Modern Toilet Ageâ€
Dan Biederman, President of the 34th Street Partnership, was quoted in the above New York Times article—having had the experience of using an APT, we’d do well to seek his advice.
After using an automated APT, the 34th Street Partnership changed to a manually operated one, that “cost no more to maintain than the automated ones — and that’s with human attendants making as much as $12.70 an hour, though they start at $8.50… the new ones are inspected, mopped and scrubbed — 15 to 25 times a day — by uniformed men and women…†—NY Times article, “We Weren’t Quite Ready For The Modern Toilet Ageâ€
The objectives are to find locations that will accommodate APT’s (automated or manual) without obstructing pedestrian flow (see specs and DOT’s rules Addendum E).
Some suggestions for placement are:
- Near or adjacent to parks
- Public plazas
- According to a report by the Urban Justice Center, only 8 of 389 public plazas in Manhattan have a public restroom facility. —Urban Justice Center 1990, 9 (see Addendum D for more)
- Any other public spaces
- Near Citi Bike locations
- Near bus shelters
The Committee’s current actions: Allen Oster (CB4) has reached out to his committee and CB5 to help identify additional locations for placement of the APTs; Mo is actively seeking locations; and John Mudd has sent emails to TimesSquare BID and Hudson Yards asking for locations.
Jonathan Hawkins, Garment District, attended the meeting, and said that no permanent plaza design has been established, which makes placement for an APT unlikely.
Besides advocating for the APTs, it would be very important to have regular maintenance. It’s reported that the Madison Square Park APT is inoperable much of the time. (There is no point in having APTs if they are not useable or maintained).
JC DeCaux, “The number one advertising company in the world,†is believed to be responsible for APT’s regular maintenance. It would be good to have someone from the company at our next meeting.
marketing@jcdecaux.com
646 834 1200
The committee suggests that Comptroller Scott Stringer may be best to tackle the contractual obligations and hold the vendor(s) accountable.
SUBWAY BATHROOMS
Subway bathrooms and their maintenance were also added to our action list. It would be a great service to the public if there were carefully designated and aggressively maintained bathrooms. Bathroom closures in the subways are widespread.
Out of NYC’s 468 subway stations, only 129 claim to have bathrooms. Of those 129, only 53 were unlocked and in service, according to one journalist as of 2017. —MTA, Eron Watt, 2014 (see Addendum D for more)
Many of the subways’ stairwells leading from the streets are neglected, left smelly and dirty, leaving us to wonder if there is a regular cleaning schedule for them. If there is, the care is highly inadequate.
We have active street cleaners, businesses nearby, ACE, and others; perhaps they can provide support with the right incentives.
VOUCHERS
Discoveries and actions:
- The various vouchers were consolidated. FHEPS voucher program combines all other vouchers. SOTA vouchers are for people with income
- Eric Lee (Homeless Services United) emailed a comprehensive proposal on subsidies (see link: Current and Upcoming Housing Subsidies in NYC
- Matt Greene is following up on Tondalayo Greene’s daughter-in-law’s housing voucher issue
- Theresa Young gave an overview of voucher use during the February 2019 meeting
- Chrisma White, having experience with the voucher program, suggests a great need for a workshop to learn how to navigate the voucher system
- The committee for workshop development will discuss the possibility
OTHER TOPICS
Incarcerated Homeless programs – Matt Roberts, 17th Precinct’s Community Council, emailed me about a newly hired ADA, who needs help “finding programs for homeless defendants… Most of the programs they know about only last a day and don’t have any housing components.â€
- This was discussed, and Alexandra Haselbeck, Clinical Director, Midtown Community Court, offered to help with the pipeline for people without residency, entering and leaving the criminal justice system
Developing Workshops – Rev. Lesley-Ann Hix Tommey (see Addendum C for more details). For direct info and to provide support: livingwell@rmmnyc.org.
Core objectives / Client categories update: “Nearly Homeless†category was changed to “Tenuously Housedâ€.
There were no public concerns raised.
- Kevin McGinn, Garment District Alliance, reported at the March 5th, 2019 meeting that conditions are down 50% from this time last year
Guest speaker(s): Moved to a later date…
- Sergeant Sharon Robinson-Hewitt,NYPD, Community Affairs Outreach Division
- Mr. David Kushner, a certified EMT, his company is Amudim
- Catesby Buteau, Outreach Coordinator, Lower East Side Service Center (LESC)
Please let us know if you have recommendations for speakers, actions, agenda items, or any pressing concerns. Please invite others who may help us to progress our actions.
Your commitment for a better quality of life, not only for ourselves and the community, but for our community’s homeless, is very much appreciated.
Warmest Regards,
John Mudd, President, Midtown South Community Council
917-520-3009 cell
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.†– Margaret Mead
ADDENDUM (A): RESPITE CARE PROVIDERS’ NETWORK | 2015 MEDICAL RESPITE PROGRAM DIRECTORY
MASSACHUSETTS / Barbara McInnis House
Agency: Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program
Address: Jean Yawkey Place, 780 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118 Contact: Sarah Ciambrone, Executive Director, Barbara McInnis House Phone: (857) 654-1701, Fax: (857) 654-1421
E-mail: sciambrone@bhchp.org, Website: www.bhchp.org
Description / Established 1993
Since 1988, medical respite care has been an essential component of the continuum of healthcare services provided by the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP). Originating as shelter-based medical beds, medical respite care for men and women is now provided in one freestanding facility, the 104-bed Barbara McInnis House which is housed in the top three floors of Jean Yawkey Place on Albany Street in Boston and located across the street from Boston Medical Center.
Jean Yawkey Place is home not only to the medical respite program but also the dental program, a busy pharmacy and ambulatory clinic, and administration for Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program.
The McInnis House provides care to men and to women, and provides comprehensive medical, nursing, behavioral, dental, and case management services in an environment sensitive to the needs of homeless adults.
The McInnis House offers three meals per day that are served in the dining room. Patients recuperate in private, semi-private or two to six bed-rooms. The program admits patients 24 hours per day, seven days a week from hospitals, shelters, emergency departments, outpatient clinics, and directly from the street by referral from the BHCHP Street Team.
Profile
Operating agency: Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (HCH) Facility type: Stand-alone Facility
Number of respite beds: 104
Hours of operation: Admissions office – Monday thru Friday, 8am-4:30pm Average length of stay: approximately 12 days
Admission Criteria
•Primary medical problem
•Psychiatrically stable
•Independent in Activities of Daily Living
•In need of short-term recuperative care
•If on methadone, must be enrolled in methadone maintenance program
•Disclosure of known communicable disease, including TB, VRE and MRSA
ADDENDUM (B): ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SUBMISSIONS
RE: Additional Respite Beds
Hi John –
We are still working to add West End Collegiate Church to the Olivieri Drop-In Center’s roster of respite bed sites. Right now we’re working out insurance issues with our building and hoping to submit our Letter of No Objection application to the Dept of Buildings soon. We’re getting help from an expediter and an architect, though also running into hurdles with the building’s risk management firm, but we will clear them!
Best to all at the meeting,
Sean McNamara
RE: Additional Respite Beds
ADDENDUM (C): LIVING WELL LIFE SKILLS EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM
Living Well Life Skills Empowerment Program
Cycles: February-May and September-December
Needs:
- Participants—We could use all your help in recruiting people to be a part of this program. If you know of someone who is ready to participate in a group setting, or if you know of an organization that would be a good partner in participant recruitment, we would love to meet them and tell them about this program. We receive referrals on a rolling basis all year long, but in order to participate in this coming semester, we need all referrals by February 18. The referral form is attached, but you are welcome to simply email me with contact information and your introduction of the individual.
- Volunteer mentors to serve one-on-one with both our domestic violence survivors as well as our veterans. Mentors come to group meetings about 6 times during the semester (we meet in the evenings) and work with their partner participant in developing their story and identifying goals. We look for mentors who are not quick to give solutions and fix, but who are good at listening and encouraging.
For any questions about the Life Skills Empowerment Programs or for more information about the services offered at Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries, feel free to reach out to Lesley-Ann: lhixtommey@cbf.net.
Lesley-Ann
Rev. Lesley-Ann Hix Tommey
CBF Field Personnel
Metro Baptist Church | Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries
New York, NY
livingwell@rmmnyc.org
Hosted by Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries
Lesley-Ann Hix Tommey, coordinator—direct email: lhixtommey@cbf.net
212-594-4464
ADDENDUM (D): FREE TO PEE CAMPAIGN FACT SHEET
#FreeToPee Campaign Fact Sheet
Public urination summons and arrests make a significant impact on people’s lives and on the use of public resources:
From 2006-2016, the city issued 308,724 criminal citations for public urination (Misdemeanor Justice Project 2018)
After the passage of the Criminal Justice Reform Act in 2016, which transitioned quality-of-life transgressions to a civil summons, public urination continues to be the second highest cause for receiving a ticket. (OIG-NYPD Report 2015)
In the first quarter of 2018 alone, NYPD issued 1,392 summons for public urination. (Summons Report 2018)
A 1986 study of the health of homeless New Yorkers found that homeless men and women had more than 300 % higher incidence of general genito-urinary problems. This is likely due in part to homeless people’s inability to urinate when necessary. (Urban Justice Center 1990, 26)
The amount of functioning public bathrooms in New York City is grossly disproportionate to the number of people in need:
- New York City receives 60 million tourists a year and has 8.5 million residents. (New York Times , 2017)
- Out of NYC’s 468 subway stations, only 129 claim to have bathrooms. Of those 129, only 53 were unlocked and in service, according to one journalist as of 2017. (MTA, Eron Watt, 2014)
- According to a report by the Urban Justice Center, only 8 of 389 public plazas in Manhattan have a public restroom facility. (Urban Justice Center 1990, 9)
- In September 2005, the Bloomberg administration announced it had a contract with the street furniture company Cemusa to provide the city with bus shelters, newsstands, and 20 Automatic Public Toilets (APTs). However, as of 2018, only 5 have been installed. (Department of Transportation, 2015)
ADDENDUM (E): NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SITE SPECS
Automatic Pay Toilets (APTs)
The program for APTs (Automatic Pay Toilets) is part of the coordinated street furniture franchise agreement between JCDecaux, N.A. and the NYC Department of Transportation and contemplates the implementation and installation of 20 APTs throughout New York City.
These state-of-the-art facilities offer comfort, hygiene, accessibility, and security to the public, within a modern design. Designed to self-sanitize after each use, the APTs will also be serviced twice a day for inspection and system maintenance, affording the people of New York a safe and valuable convenience.
Site Specifications Footprint: 6’7†x 11’
Siting Criteria include, but are not limited to, the following:
1.Clear Path: Automated Pay Toilets must allow a minimum clear path of 8 feet
in width in the front and 5 feet on all other sides.
2.Clearance from Curb: All APTs must allow a straight unobstructed path of at least 1.5 feet between the APT and the curb.
3.Other Minimum Distances:
NYC Department of Transportation Office of Cityscape & Franchises 55 Water Street, New York, NY 10041 T: 212.839.6550 F:212.839.9895 nyc.gov/dot
10 feet 5 feet 3 feet 2 feet
4. Permissible Locations:
fire hydrants, standpipes
tree trunks, canopies
streetlights, traffic signal poles ventilation, street signs, cellar doors
a.On wide streets, only in commercial, manufacturing or mixed use districts.
b.On sidewalks or plazas adjacent to property owned or leased by a government agency or public authority, or under the jurisdiction of the EDC.
c.On traffic islands or public places bounded on all sides by mapped streets under the jurisdiction of the Department.
d.On or adjacent to parks property or playgrounds, subject to the approval of the Department of Parks and Recreation.
