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DiggWhy John Heuss House's Future is in Doubt
By Jim Melchiorre
A sanctuary in Lower Manhattan for men and women living on the streets may soon disappear.
John Heuss House, an outreach ministry of Trinity Wall Street, is a victim of a change in philosophy at New York City’s Department of Human Services (DHS).
John Heuss House is a “drop-in” center, operating 24/7. Drop-in centers are a model developed in the 1980s to give homeless people a place to receive a wide variety of services, including hot meals, showers, and counseling, as they work toward obtaining permanent housing. Many, though not all, John Heuss House clients receive transportation to overnight shelters operated by synagogues and churches.
The city began to re-evaluate the “drop-in” center model after the arrival of DHS Commissioner Rob Hess from Philadelphia.
“There are no drop-in centers in Philadelphia,” said Rev. Win Peacock, director of John Heuss House. “Commissioner Hess is enamored with Safe Havens.”
Safe Haven is another model that can, unlike drop-in centers, offer homeless clients a bed immediately. Clients receive Safe Haven beds after a referral by outreach workers who find them and identify them as homeless. Critics of Safe Havens say outreach workers will not always find all who are in need, whereas drop-in centers provide a central location for shelter and services.
The city has already closed down two drop-in centers and plans to reduce the hours at those which remain. With John Heuss House the only center serving Lower Manhattan, Win hoped to bid on a new city contract. The current contract ends on June 30. Because other grants are connected to the $1.4 million city contract, the remainder of the funding is at risk, as well.
Then, in mid-December, Heuss House learned that the city would not allow 42 Beaver Street — which is owned by the city — to be a drop-in center.
In order to bid on the city’s contract to remain in operation, John Heuss House would need to relocate to a building that is handicap-accessible, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and equipped with showers by January 22, the bid deadline.
“We made a good faith effort to find a site,” Win said. No alternative has been found and, in early January, a decision was made not to bid for a new city contract.
The Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee has convened a Visioning Committee to determine the next steps.
Matt Heyd, of the Trinity Grants Program, is a member of the committee and led the group to a demonstration at City Hall on January 14, protesting the city’s proposed changes in care for the homeless.
“We all feel connected to John Heuss House,” Matt said, promising that the committee will continue the community discussion about Trinity’s commitment to the homeless in Lower Manhattan.
But even as alternatives are explored, one thing seems certain. On June 30, something will happen for the first time in 21 years at John Heuss House at 42 Beaver Street, when the doors are closed and locked.
Jim Melchiorre is the senior producer in the Trinity Television and New Media Department of Trinity Wall Street. His books include “Reflections of Messiah: Contemporary Advent Meditations Inspired by Handel” and “Novena in Time of War: Soul- Searching Prayers and Meditations.”
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