Temperatures Inside NYC Men's Homeless Shelter Plummet to 45 Degrees
A recent inspection by the Coalition for the Homeless revealed shocking temperatures at a men's homeless shelter on Wards Island, with readings as low as 45 degrees inside. This egregious lapse in heating falls woefully short of the city's requirement that facilities maintain temperatures over 20 degrees warmer than the outside temperature.
Residents like Reinaldo, who has been temporarily housed there, have had to rely on makeshift solutions to cope with the biting cold. He expressed frustration at having to wear not one but two hoodies, multiple pairs of sweatpants, and a winter hat just to stay relatively warm.
While city officials claim that the issue lies in the window units rather than the overall heating system, this explanation rings hollow when faced with the reality of residents bundling up like they're about to venture into subzero temperatures. The Coalition for the Homeless argues that the building's aging infrastructure is to blame for allowing cold air to seep in.
The Coalition for the Homeless had been monitoring the shelter since early December, and their findings were disheartening. Jamie Powlovich, a senior manager with the organization, emphasized the gravity of the situation: "It was unacceptable." Volunteers of America, which manages the building, has declined to comment on the matter, leaving it to the city's Department of Homeless Services to address the issue.
In response to the findings, DHS spokesperson Nicholas Jacobelli claimed that their teams had taken steps to rectify the problem by addressing issues such as drafty windows and ensuring internal temperatures meet the legally mandated standards. However, these efforts seem insufficient given the prolonged exposure to subfreezing conditions faced by residents like Reinaldo.
A recent inspection by the Coalition for the Homeless revealed shocking temperatures at a men's homeless shelter on Wards Island, with readings as low as 45 degrees inside. This egregious lapse in heating falls woefully short of the city's requirement that facilities maintain temperatures over 20 degrees warmer than the outside temperature.
Residents like Reinaldo, who has been temporarily housed there, have had to rely on makeshift solutions to cope with the biting cold. He expressed frustration at having to wear not one but two hoodies, multiple pairs of sweatpants, and a winter hat just to stay relatively warm.
While city officials claim that the issue lies in the window units rather than the overall heating system, this explanation rings hollow when faced with the reality of residents bundling up like they're about to venture into subzero temperatures. The Coalition for the Homeless argues that the building's aging infrastructure is to blame for allowing cold air to seep in.
The Coalition for the Homeless had been monitoring the shelter since early December, and their findings were disheartening. Jamie Powlovich, a senior manager with the organization, emphasized the gravity of the situation: "It was unacceptable." Volunteers of America, which manages the building, has declined to comment on the matter, leaving it to the city's Department of Homeless Services to address the issue.
In response to the findings, DHS spokesperson Nicholas Jacobelli claimed that their teams had taken steps to rectify the problem by addressing issues such as drafty windows and ensuring internal temperatures meet the legally mandated standards. However, these efforts seem insufficient given the prolonged exposure to subfreezing conditions faced by residents like Reinaldo.
I'm seriously worried about those guys at that homeless shelter 
. 45 degrees is COLD!!! They should be able to stay warm in a building that's supposed to be a safe space, not freezing their bums off 
. I don't think it matters what the window units or heating system are like, if the whole place is drafty and cold, something needs to change 
. It's not just about the physical health, but also the mental well-being of those guys 
.
45 degrees is like, freezing 
the fact that they have to wear multiple layers just to stay warm is crazy 
i'm all for people trying to help but come on, can't we do better than this? 
. The city's Department of Homeless Services claims they're taking steps to fix the issue, but it seems like just more empty promises 
. If they were truly committed to solving the problem, they'd be working with organizations like the Coalition for the Homeless to address the root cause – outdated infrastructure 
. Instead, we get vague assurances and half-measures that only serve to further marginalize those already struggling on the streets 
. We need concrete action, not just PR spin 
. The city's homeless crisis is a symptom of deeper systemic issues, and we can't keep sweeping problems under the rug 
. It's up to our leaders to take bold, meaningful steps to address this crisis – not just tweak the symptoms 
.
45 degrees is way too cold for anyone to be stuck in a shelter. I remember when my cousin used to stay at a homeless shelter back in '99 and they had a nice warm common room with a fireplace, it was cozy! Nowadays it feels like nobody cares about the basic human needs of their citizens. 
I mean, sure, they haven't commented on it publicly, but maybe that's just a smart move in hindsight. Anyway, 45 degrees is pretty cold, and it sounds like the shelter was already having issues before this winter kicked in. Maybe instead of making a big deal about it now, we should be asking why shelters can't be built with better insulation from the start? 
this is a disaster how can they even get it that bad? 45 degrees in a homeless shelter? what's next? freezing people out on the streets? and whats up with these "window units" they're just gonna fix the windows instead of getting some real heating system in there? and good luck with that, i bet the volunteers are still volunteering in the freezing cold 
we should be outraged but like how are we supposed to care when the system is so broken?
. These people need real solutions, not just Band-Aid fixes.
. And what about all the volunteers who are working hard to help these people? They deserve better support from the city 
.
.
. If the building's been neglected for years, it's no wonder drafts are a problem. It's not like they can just magic up some new heating system overnight, but what I want to know is how did this go unnoticed for so long? Did someone just sit back and let it happen? The city's claim that window units are the issue sounds convenient, but it feels like a cop-out to me 
. We can't just expect homeless people to wrap up in layers like it's no big deal 
. It's time for some serious support and infrastructure updates 
. The city's supposed to be doing better than this, you know? They're always talking about being more compassionate and helping people in need, but when it comes down to it, they're still not doing enough to keep their own facilities warm. 
i mean if u gotta bundle up like ur venturing into arctic circle lol what's goin on? should be a full-on investigation imo
and yeah the windows thing sounds lame but cmon how can u not know that it's a huge issue?