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I’m gonna tell 4 stories of things that happened yesterday to people I know in the NYC shelter system to dispel once and for all the myth that Dept of Homeless Services has resources to help people with their physical & mental health or with their housing. Here we go.
Let’s start with Josie. (Im using pseudonyms as DHS is known to retaliate harshly.) Josie said she had struggled with addiction for years but once she moved to the hotel she was able to get sober. Nobody helped her: she found a nearby methadone clinic & took it one day at a time.
Josie said that when the buses arrived to move them out of the hotel she wanted to use so badly. She watched many of her fellow residents just take their bags and go directly to sleep on the street. She wanted to stop them but she only felt strong enough to take care of herself.
Mayor de Blasio is forcing homeless New Yorkers back to congregated shelters Monday. He says ppl need the services shelters provide & he is lying. There are no services. This is a shelter on Ward’s island. NYC pays $3500 - $4000 per person a month to sleep in a room with 30 ppl. 
The idea that shelters are a safe place for homeless people is a myth perpetuated by non profits that run & benefit from them. They can get away with this because only staff & residents can go in them. These photos are from a brave resident who is a member of @VOCALNewYork.
Here’s a bed at a Ward’s Island shelter in a prison-style dormitory, 20-40 people per room, standard for many shelters. Mental breakdowns & open drug use are common, problematic for ppl trying to stay sober & unsafe for everyone. This is what de Blasio is forcing people back to.
