What You Need to Know About Addressing Bad Shelter Conditions

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 the problem still does not improve, you can file a complaint with DHS.

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. When making a complaint about conditions, it is good idea to have photo evidence. When making a complaint about staff, try to get their name(s) and title(s).

Yes! Through the DHS Office of the Ombudsman, you can meet with a representative of DHS. The Office is located at 33 Beaver Street, 20th Floor in Manhattan.

You can get there by taking the 4 or 5 Train to the Bowling Green Station, by taking the J or Z Train to the Broad Street Station, or by taking the 2 or 3 Train to the Wall Street Station, or the R, W or 1 to the Whitehall Street/South Ferry Station.

It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. You can also call them 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 about the complaint. DHS staff will then tell the shelter to fix the problem. The more complaints DHS receives about a particular shelter, 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.

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

You can also visit Coalition for the Homeless (CFH) at 129 Fulton Street in lower Manhattan on weekdays. To get there, you can take the A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4, or 5 trains to the Fulton Street Station. CFH sees a limited number of clients on a first come, first served basis Monday through Friday, so you should get there early (preferably between 8 and 8:30 a.m.). CFH regularly monitors the shelters to inspect conditions. It is helpful if you can bring evidence of the conditions when you meet with CFH staff. You can also contact the CFH shelter monitors at 212-776-2003 or info@cfthomeless.org to report conditions.

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.