By james art 
The Rapid Cooper Recovery Center of 78-16 Cooper Ave.
Photo by Anthony Medina
Council member Robert Holdon calls on the city to permanently close the Center for the rapid return of the Avenue Cooper Avenue to Glendale, run by Westhab Inc., citing his controversial experience and considerable opposition to the community.
The shelter, located on the 78-16 Cooper Ave., has acted as a transitional housing facility for homeless men from 2019, but is facing a broad criticism for its supposed negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
Designed to provide temporary homes and services to help residents move to permanent home, the shelter is a source of tension in Glendale, with locals and businesses provoking concerns about safety, public disorders and quality of life.
Holdon wrote a damn letter to the Ministry of Social Services (DSS) and Mayor Eric Adams, emphasizing the devastating impact of the shelter on the community and outlines many reasons why the shelter should be closed.
In the letter, he described in detail the “failure” of the shelter in the last five years, including over 2,200 calls for an emergency 911, nearly 700 additional complaints and 278 arrests. Nearby schools, such as PS 87 and PS/IS 119, face safety concerns requiring additional police patrols during the class.
Local companies on the Metropolitan Avenue, Myrtle Avenue, Cooper Avenue and Atlas Park stores report localization, breading and public intoxication, linked to shelter residents who have violated operations and expelled customers.
In 2023, the owner of a local business spoke with QNS and wanted not to be identified. They said that although they were fortunate enough to have no problems with the occupants of the shelter, the locals continue to complain about the overall safety and violation of private property.
Residents who talked to QNS at the time emphasized more concerns about the shelter residents who saw entering their backyards, ask for money and embark on the windows.
Inside the shelter, the conditions seem to remain terrible. Promotal drug use reports, harassment and negligence are common. Residents of LGBTQ+ have withstood documented incidents of homophobia and abuses, while the second -floor bath has become notorious as Drug Den. Despite these continuing questions, Holdon insists that Westhab has failed to cope with the crisis and allowed the conditions to get worse.
“In a well -documented court case, former resident Isaiah Morris endured homophobic rumors, threats of violence and sexual harassment by both residents and employees,” Holdon wrote in the letter. “Maurice’s requests for intervention remained unanswered, reflecting a broader model of indifference and violation. The shelter staff was not only an accomplice, but often participated in harassment, further threatening LGBTQ+ persons. “
In September 2022, a 27-year-old man who experiences homelessness became a signal to signal, sharing photos, videos and his personal test exclusively with Dave Karlin of CBS2.
“I have never seen myself in a similar position, once a day in my life, no,” said the man who wished to remain anonymous. “I identify as Queer. I was repeatedly attacked. The police came out, they said this was not really their problem. This is something to deal with internally. ”
At that time, he said he could confirm what many neighbors claim to be crimes that spill out of the shelter and in the community.
“This shelter has failed all – its inhabitants, the community and our local companies,” Holdon said. “The renewal of the contract would be a catastrophic mistake. We do not want a new supplier. We want the city to close it permanently. “
Holdon also expressed ethical concerns about the Administrator of the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Joslin Carter and her sister Valerie Smith, Vice President at Westhab. The relationship between Carter and Smith and Westhab of $ 1.7 billion in urban contracts raised questions about the conflict of interest and transparency in the city’s treaty.
“While DHS claims that Carter is repelled, the very existence of this connection erodes public confidence and requires an independent investigation,” he writes.
Holdon called on the residents of Glendale and his surrounding neighborhoods to take action and send letters opposed to the renovation and call for the closure of the shelter to Lorna Hinds, DHS, at 150 Greenwich Str., New York 10038.
“We can’t allow this disaster to last three more years,” Holdon added. “This is a chance for our residents to vote and to require real action to protect our community.”