You should contact your case worker at the shelter to report the bad conditions. Some shelters have forms to ask for repairs. The case worker should send someone to fix the problems or let you know the next time the exterminator is coming to the shelter. It is a good idea to write down when you contacted the case worker and what they said. If the case worker does not help, you can make a written complaint to the director of the shelter.  If you would like, you can make a written complaint to the shelter by using the Constituent Grievance Form available here. If the problem still does not improve, you can file a complaint directly with DHS (The Department of Homeless Services).

You can file a complaint by calling 311. In New York City, 311 is a 24/7 hotline that allows you to contact any City agency. You can use this number to make complaints about bad conditions as well as mistreatment by shelter staff or any other problem. 311 should transfer you to the DHS Office of the Ombudsman to make your complaint. You can also contact the Office of the Ombudsman directly by calling 800-994-6494 or emailing ombudsman@dhs.nyc.gov. When making a complaint about conditions, it is a good idea to have photo evidence. When making a complaint about staff, try to get their name(s) and title(s).

Yes! By visiting the DHS Office of the Ombudsman, you can meet with a representative of DHS (called a Constituent Services Representative). The Office is located at 109 E 16th Street, 8th Floor in Manhattan.

You can get there by taking the 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, or W train to the 14th Street – Union Square Station, or by taking the F or M train to the 14th Street / 6th Avenue Station. The Office of the Ombudsman is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. You can also call the office at 800-994-6464 if you would like to schedule an appointment.

If you call 311 or the Ombudsman’s office, they will tell DHS staff about the complaint. If DHS staff agree there is a problem, they will then tell the shelter to fix the problem. The more complaints DHS receives about a particular problem, the more likely they are to fix the problem. If your neighbors at the shelter are experiencing the same difficulties as you are, you should encourage them to also file complaints.

If DHS does not respond to your complaint and the problem still exists, you should file another complaint and let 311 or the Ombudsman’s office know the first complaint was ignored. You can also file a complaint with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). HPD is the City agency that enforces the New York City Housing Maintenance Code, which covers conditions issues in housing, such as heat and hot water, mold, pests, gas leaks, and fire safety. You can contact HPD by calling 311 or by filing a complaint online here. HPD may come to your shelter to do an inspection as a result of your complaint, and they can issue violations against the shelter. You can check if there are any open violations at your shelter here.

If the complaint is about shelter conditions that are affecting your health or safety, you can call Legal Aid’s Homeless Rights Project Hotline at 800-649-9125.

You can also contact  Coalition for the Homeless (CFH) by calling their hotline at 888-358-2384. Coalition for the Homeless (CFH) is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will return your call as soon as possible. CFH regularly monitors the shelters to inspect conditions. It is helpful if you can show evidence of the conditions when you speak with CFH staff.

The information on this page has been translated into Spanish and is available to download here.

The information in this document has been prepared by The Legal Aid Society for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. You should not act upon any information without retaining professional legal counsel.