In an emergency decision earlier this year, the Department of Homeless Services came to an agreement with Samaritan Villages to open and operate a homeless shelter using the previously abandoned Pan American Hotel in Queens. The shelter is one of 11 like it to open this year, housing over 600 people, about half of which are children. The Elmhurst shelter has been met with outrage as local residents continue to protest against the city and the shelter highlighting the stigmatization homeless communities face regularly.
In a recent City Limits article, Jeff Foreman said the “name-calling and crowds grew so daunting officials interceded to take the homeless kids to a movie to keep them away from another protest. While it made for compelling summer TV viewing, it was just part of a growing trend of stigmatizing poverty, criminalizing homelessness and increasing attacks on vulnerable homeless people in New York and throughout the country.” Below is one photo of many depicting the real people at the heart of the turmoil:
Click here for more monthly photos on people and issues we care about.