NEW YORK (PIX11) – A brand-new safe haven is expected to be up and running on the Upper West Side by the end of the month.
But some residents in the neighborhood have concerns. They spoke out during a rally Wednesday.
The safe haven on West 83rd Street has some residents so angry, they poured water on the chalk welcome signs outside the building. Why? One reason, they said, is because it’s across the street from a school.
“They’re calling it a safe haven but there’s nothing safe about it,” said Maria Danzilo, the executive director of One City Rising.
City officials said the neighborhood does not have this type of safe haven available to those in need. The location on 83rd Street has been a shelter but under different operators and different rules for a long time.
But by the end of the month, it will be a “low barrier” safe haven. Residents do not have a curfew and a background check is not required to live there. All referrals will be checked against the New York State Sex Offender Registry.
