Jardin Central Pre-Assessment Shelter — Hotel in New York

Here is a summary of my experience in the New York City Homeless Assistance Program. This post will focus only on my experience at Jardin Central Pre-Assessment Shelter (therefore this will be Part 2).

Part 1 can be found at the Central HRA Men's Shelter 30th Street in Manhattan (where the initial processing of paperwork was started.

COVID-19 Result Wait I arrived about 8:10pm. After completing the initial paperwork at the HRA Men's Shelter.

Step 1 (After going through security) I was asked to complete a 15 to 20 page packet.

Step 2 Waiting for paperwork (for this shelter) to be processed.

Step 3 Once the paperwork was entered into the system, I was called into an inner office. My ID was photocopied. The next step process was explained. I was told that I'd be here 2 to 3 days. Once the results of COVID-19 test, I would be assigned to a longer-term shelter. I was assigned a bed number. I was told to wait by the elevator for the guy with the keys to open the door.

Minutes later, a supervisor (while asking about those individuals standing around), informed me that I wasn't in the system. I explained that I already completed the paperwork (minutes ago) and received a bed number. I also told (and showed) her that I took a photo of the paperwork. She said none of that would help her. She said that she needed me to fill out another packet. Luckily, after checking again, my name was found on the list..

Facilities Surprisingly clean and comfortable. I was surprised by the size of the room AND that I would NOT be sharing a room.

Again, some staff was more professional than others. Several of the desk security were rude, they seemed more interested in their personal conversation (or on their phones).

Quick Summary of my stay... I arrived Tuesday night. I stayed 3 nights (waiting for my COVID-19 test results).

The Room The room was kept clean. One staff worker was responsible for all of the room keys. "Clients" were not allowed keys. If you were locked out, you would have to go to the lobby desk and request the guy with the keys to open the door.

The Bathrooms I was told that there were 5 bathrooms on the floor, so there was never really a wait time. And each bathroom had working shower. The bathrooms were kept fairly clean. Unfortunately, a resident (or two) treated the bathrooms like public park bathrooms. Once or twice there would be feces and urine on the toilet seat and/or floor.

Meals The meals (in my opinion) were very good. 👍

My only complaint about the meals is that on my last day, neither breakfast or lunch arrived. My problem was that the staffs were very rude to the endless clients who arrived asking. Observed responses included, curt, rude tones of "NO!", "Not here", "I don't know when...", "I don't know what to tell you...", then immediately return to their phones or private conversations. Zero effort attitude. A simple sign posted would've been very helpful.

Departure My COVID-19 test results arrived about 11:30am on the 3rd day. The staff worker knocked on the room door. Handed me my test results along with my next location. He told me "... You need to pack your stuff. You need to leave immediately." No directions, and no metro card was provided (I didn't think to ask). I had enough money for train fare. And, I had Google map to give me the directions.

The next shelter was the assessment shelter....

BRC Men's Shelter (Brooklyn)

To be continued ... Part 3 will be on my experiences at the  BRC...

Terrible. Absolutely terrible. Most of the workers there are incompetent buff-oons, like the man who helps the residents write down their information down on these papers that he hands to them in this small office area behind the security guard desk. He has called himself slow a couple of times. Staff will make snide remarks about residents for no reason, like this one janitor who spoke bad things to a security guard about me.

Some staff will be angry for simply asking them to do their job like this old man (he looks African or something) who angrily threw his hands up after I asked him to go open my room door (residents can and are often advised to lock their door so that their belongings aren't stolen). On some other day I saw him in the very same room, just sitting still and staring off into space.

Oh and the idi0ts who work there will just send anyone out, regardless of physical and/or mental limitations by themselves to the next shelter that they are assigned to, if they miss the van. They can even be sent out at night. They are not even given metro cards. This happened to me and I lost a pair of $50 wireless earbuds because of this. I spent over an hour, early morning (1-2 something) walking the streets looking for the other place. I didn't even miss the van. It was the driver who had decided he was doing any...

The meals are small the people that serve the food are super rude the one black guy and he brings the food to your door yeah that's cool but it takes him 3 hours to get to your door with food that's small enough for a child to still be hungry. And at night time your heater doesn't work so it's freezing cold I've been here 4 days still waiting the results of my test every time I go to the front no one knows anything about my cover test results New York needs to do better I came here cuz I said that they were going to help got here I haven't received nothing but the runaround from shelter to shelter to shelter when...