Bruckner Homeless Shelter — Local services in New York

Its clean, its warm and its safe... There are other shelters where the bathrooms are so disgusting you won't wanna step foot into them. This shelter is not one of those shelters. They keep the place clean. This shelter features rooms (hotel/motel style) each room has its own bathroom and shower which is maintained by staff. Generally its two people per room.

They provide laundry services where they'll do your laundry and swap your old bed linens for clean fresh ones. There is a computer lab with high speed internet connected computers. You can use the lab to look for housing, job search, take an online class, replace important documents like your birth certificate or social security card (play video games lol) etc...

There is a rec room that has a large wall mounted flat panel tv. The tv has internet capabilities depending on your level of resourcefulness. The rec room is also the spot for staff sponsored training and personal wellness related groups. Oh and art !! You can paint there. My thing was puzzles...

While I was there they were very liberal about handing out plates of food even if it wasn't lunch/dinner time. Though they kept saying they were gonna crack down on that, so I'm not sure thats the case anymore. Often you can get two plates just for asking. On special occasions the staff will put together or have the food specially catered. Velvet cake tends to show up during those occasions and its delicious. Otherwise the food tended not to agree with me personally so I usually grabbed something from The Chicken Spot etc...

Is the shelter perfect? No, For one the actual housing process in my opinion should move/work a little faster. I was there for almost a year before I got housing. Again, just my opinion but I feel a client shouldn't be in the shelter system longer than 3-6 months. However based on what I see in newspaper headlines this seems to be a system wide problem and not necessarily particular to Bruckner.

Overall though, if you end up at Bruckner, imo you've ended up at one of the better (and maybe the best) shelters in...

I honestly thank All the people working here. They go above and beyond selfless service and Kudos to them. Many of us have chronic and systemic social crisis just to be descent as I chronically this tapestry. I witness daily how staff are verbally abused by clients, clients stealing from each other or fighting each other, shooting drugs in restrooms, smoking inside facility as only a few go outside and smoke, hiding contraband in body cavities, reporting facility to public authorities, trading food stamps at stores to get cash and buy drugs, drinking king alcohol in and outside doors. I am grateful to be allowed here for help and that is what they do.They even clean after us as grown man what a shame, so said that even immigrants our country allowed to come govern themselves like this establishment or country owe them something. They dare tell on each other but band to gather and mud sling on staff. I have to stay awake no telling when those contraband kick in if we be on fire as a number have health and awareness issues. A random body search would help curb a lot and a zero tolerance on threatening and abusing staff or clients. It's a prevelage to me to be allowed here and not a prevelage. Iam far from righteousness but we cannot demonize those seeking to help us...

This place isnt designed to help anyone. They get you in like a jil parolee, dont give any real resources, and judgemental on everyone walking in treating everyone less than human. You ask a question and absolutely no one has an answer to it. They tell you wait for a case manager, which can be anywhere up to a month before you meet your case manager. The only reason they even exist is to collect the $4,000 per person per month. If you're receiving a transfer and your kids are over 18, refuse it. You have 3 times to refuse the transfer. But it's better than coming into this jailhouse. I really hope someone burns it down but...