Single Homeless Adults in Commercial Hotels

Emergency Adult Shelters In Commercial Hotels

African American Planning Commission (AAPCI) is a provider of services to single adult men, women, seniors, and families with children who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in New York City. AAPCI’s homeless shelter programs operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year across boroughs. Achieving housing stability is often the first step to addressing the underlying causes of homelessness, including behavioral health and substance use issues, domestic violence, and intergenerational poverty.

The majority of our clients are referred to us by city agencies. AAPCI works very closely with the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) to accept referrals.

Under contract with the NYC Department of Homeless Services (“DHS”) since June 30, 2017, AAPCI provides Emergency Shelter and Social Support Services in Leased Commercial Hotels to over 700 homeless, single adults, citywide. it is important to note that while our clients are low-earners, many of them maintain stable, low-income employment.

The goal of AAPCI’s Single Adult Emergency Shelters in Commercial Hotel program is to provide safe, temporary housing with the goal of moving all working, single, adult clients out of shelter and to help them locate permanent and/or alternate housing within or outside the State of New York while maintaining their employment status. Our methodology is to offer on- and off-site supportive case management, employment and permanent housing services which empower our clients and reduce recidivism.

During their stay in shelter, each single adult client is housed in a semi-furnished room which they share with another single individual. The rooms are equipped with a bathroom and shower stall, two single beds with clean pillows, sheets, blankets, individual lockers, and a writing desk. All clients are provided three catered meals daily. Each client has access to onsite social support services to address the concrete causes of their homelessness and the importance of employment retention, when possible. Clients are educated on economic self-sufficiency, how to open and maintain bank accounts, the various options and differences between a bank, a credit union, and a check cashing store; as well as how to find and maintain permanent housing.

AAPCI works collaboratively with leased-hotel management staff to maintain safe, clean, and secure facilities. All our contracted programs receive unannounced site visits/inspections from NYC DHS and/or NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (“OTDA”) inspectors, as well as visits from AAPCI’s own management staff. They visit to see, firsthand, the conditions of our facilities, to ensure that we are in full compliance with city and state regulations which govern the oversight of hotel shelters, and to ensure that residents are receiving mandated social services, as per our contractual obligations.

The programs are staffed by Program Directors, Directors of Social Services, and Case Manager Supervisors. Counseling staff include Case Managers, Housing/Entitlement Specialists, Employment/Recreational Specialists. Support service staff include Shift Supervisors, Residential Aides and contracted Security personnel. The programs operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

On-site services and programs include: