Allies Place Family Services & Employment Services
APFRs Family Services provides a wide range of support services from a team of Housing Specialists, Case Managers, Employment Specialists, and Client Coordinators. In addition, on-site substance use treatment services are provided through Camelot.
Allies Place also is also home to a state-of-the-art culinary employment training facility with 3,200 sq. feet of culinary, baking/pastry arts, and barista training classrooms to prepare HFH residents, and local community members from the Soundview neighborhood, for careers in the food industry.
Family Shelter Servicesand Outreach
A recent report indicates that families in Brownsville, Brooklyn, enter shelters at more than twice the rate of those in New York City. This troubling reality has far-reaching consequences that endanger the wellbeing of countless women, children, and the broader community.
Founder and CEO of Destiny Helpers Outreach Inc., TrudyAnn WIlliams, knows first-hand how living in a shelter can affect your lifeshe previously lived in a shelter with her son for over 2 years.
There, she gained first hand experience of how people can be made to feel like they are less than human and how it can damage their self-esteem and self worth adding extra weight to the already heavy burden of trying to transition out of shelters and into a permanent home.
Homeless Families Are Getting City Decisions To Deny Shelter Overturned In Growing Numbers And Applying Over And Over Again
A family leaves the PATH shelter intake center in the South Bronx, Jan. 27, 2022.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
Three in four applications by families seeking homeless shelter got rejected last year the most since the Department of Homeless Services started disclosing numbers a decade ago.
Families and shelter providers describe an arduous eligibility review process that became even more unnavigable during the pandemic. The states public assistance agency is seeing a surge in families appealing their rejections and a record number of cases reversing DHS decisions, ordering the city to provide families with shelter or reevaluate applications.
The city has made it virtually impossible to get into a family shelter, said Craig Hughes, a senior social worker at the Urban Justice Centers Safety Net Project.
It took seven attempts for Ms. D and her family to get approved for shelter, which only happened after a lawyer got involved, she told THE CITY.
Ms. D, her fiancé and their 1-year-old daughter had their application repeatedly rejected starting in July because DHS investigators concluded that the family still had housing options available and could return to their previous residence the home of her soon-to-be mother-in-law, who had already demanded they leave.
We told them numerous times that the person dont want us here. The person kicked us out and there were threats involved, said Ms. D, 27, who asked to remain anonymous. And they still denied us.
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A First Step To Housing
Nazareth Housing cannot accept families directly.
Nazareth Housing provides emergency shelter to families who have lost their housing and face compounding barriers to housing stability. Transitional housing solves an immediate need for these families in crisis a safe living situation.
With the ultimate goal to create long-term stability and prevent a return to homelessness, Nazareth Housing staff work closely with families while they are living in shelter to address and eliminate barriers to housing stability. Shelter residents have access to a wide range of educational programming and resources to build new skills and reinforce existing strengths. With this holistic approach, shelter residents at Nazareth Housing move to permanent housing 26% faster than the city-wide average.
With a track record that spans over thirty years, Nazareth Housing has a well-developed approach to stabilize and strengthen families recovering from the multiple losses and traumas of homelessness. Transitional family housing affords families a critical safety net while they work one-on-one with staff members to build skills and work towards safe and affordable housing.
Hpd Emergency Housing Services
The Emergency Housing Services unit provides emergency relocation services and rehousing assistance to households who have been displaced from their homes as a result of fires or city-issued vacate orders. Displaced households are placed in family centers and single-room-occupancy hotels in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Phone: 212-863-8561
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The Path Intake Center In The Bronx
If your family needs a room in a shelter, you must visit the Prevention and Temporary Housing intake center. Its located in the Bronx and open 24/7.
Who may apply for services?
- Families with children younger than 21 years of age
- Families with a pregnant woman
Whats the contact information?
- Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
- Located in the Bronx at 151 East 151st Street
- The main telephone number is 917-521-3900
What should I know before I go?
- All family members seeking shelter must be present for the application process.
- You need to show ID for each family member. If you dont have ID, DHS will still make efforts to help you.
- The application process can take many hours, so keep your day free.
- You cant bring outside food, but snacks are provided there.
- PATH staff will give you an attendance letter that excuses your child or childrens absence from school that day.
Where can I find more information about the process?
The PATH web page tells you which documents to bring and what the process is like. Theres also a downloadable PATH brochure that explains the process in more detail, as well as the other services available at PATH.
Path To Holding Pattern
Like thousands of other families from all five boroughs, the Manhattan couple and their daughter made their way to the Department of Homeless Services Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing intake center on 151st Street in The Bronx, where families obtain an emergency placement while their applications are investigated.
From a pool averaging about 2,000 applications a month from families seeking shelter in 2021, just 24% were accepted, according to DHS figures.
After years of hovering between 40% and 50%, the share of applications accepted began to decline during the pandemic, with 34% admitted in an average month during 2020, down from 40% two years ago.
The shelter acceptance rate plummeted even as the number of applications declined with the help of New Yorks eviction moratorium, THE CITYs analysis of Department of Homeless Services data shows.
DHS staff with the job title of fraud investigator demand family shelter applicants provide a two-year history of recent housing situations, along with emergency contacts. The investigators then decide, within 10 days of the family being placed in a temporary shelter, whether they have a place other than a homeless shelter where they can live.
Prior to the pandemic, when a family was rejected they had to gather their belongings and return to PATH to begin the process again. But pandemic-era changes allow families to reapply remotely from their temporary shelter.
DHS did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
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Allies Place Early Childhood Education Center
APFR is home to the Baby Gators, the new mascot for the nursery and Early Childhood Education Center. The Nursery is designed to provide childcare services to children under 24 months on-site so that parents can work or take culinary training courses to prepare for work. The Nursery is open only to residents.
An NYC Department of Education Pre-K and 3K program is now open for Allies Places youngest learners, providing nutritious meals, supervised playtime, yoga, soccer, music classes and more.
Shelter For Families With Children
Prevention and Temporary Housing 151 East 151st StreetBronx, NY 10454Take the 2, 4, or 5 train to 149th Street/Grand Concourse. Walk north on Grand Concourse two blocks, to East 151st Street and turn left. Walk two blocks to Walton Avenue. The PATH office is located at the corner on your right.
Note that this facility is not operated by the Coalition for the Homeless.
During the pandemic, the following changes have been made to shelter applications:
- Families who do not have documentation that proves you are a family should not be turned away from applying for shelter. Instead, the shelter should help you to schedule an appointment with the City Clerk to document your family status and allow you to begin your shelter application. You will later be asked to provide a domestic partnership registration number, which can be secured at the website below, and will need to go to the City Clerk to formalize your relationship, which is happening by appointment. If you need help with these processes, please ask your case worker in shelter or AFIC staff.To register online please follow this link.
- If you are found ineligible for shelter, you should be able to reapply by phone, using the numbers provided on your denial notice.
- However, if you are logged out of shelter, you will need to return to PATH or AFIC to begin the application process again.
The following documents will be required for families with children when applying at PATH:
Proof that you are a family, which can include:
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Migrants Seeking Asylum Land At Shelter In The Bronx
It was a sweltering day outside of the cityâs intake center for homeless families in the Bronx.
Some of those families recently crossed the southern border. And within the last few days, they had made their way to New York.
âI came to New York to look for help for my wife, for my daughter, for myself because we donât have anyone who can help us,â Julian Barrantes said, who came with his wife and daughter from Colombia, crossing the border in Arizona. âWe came to New York because they said we can get help.”
He said a âfoundationâ paid for his trip to the Bronx.
What You Need To Know
- About 4,000 migrants seeking asylum have entered the city’s homeless shelter system in the last three months
- Officials are not clear how people are arriving in New York, but say buses are arriving at their intake center
- Meanwhile the city has opened 11 emergency shelters to accommodate the new need
Andres Rodriguez, who did not want his face on camera, came from Venezuela.
âI left Venezuela only with $300,â Rodriguez said.
He traveled through all of Central America by foot to get to New York, trudging through the desert without sufficient water. And now they are, in some cases, inexplicably being thrust into the cityâs shelter system.
Rodriguez first went to the family shelter in the Bronxâan address he said was given to him by a friend. He was sent to the menâs shelter in Manhattan. Heâs decided to stay on the streets instead.
Destiny Helpers Addresses This Issue Head
- Personal Care Packages
- Personal Development Workshops
- Community Gatherings
These programs and services help families regain and maintain their independence, optimism, and hope towards achieving upward social mobility. With enough support, we can continue improving and expanding the help we provide to families in need.
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Family Eviction Prevention Services
FEPS is a housing supplement to help prevent evictions and provides rental support to families for up to five years. A household must be in housing court, be receiving public assistance, and have one child under the age of 18 to apply. Call the appropriate borough.
- Bronx Works: 718-637-2643
- Camba : 718-675-3373
- Catholic Charities : 212-862-6401
Allies Place Afterschool & Recreation
The children and youth, ages five to 16, who attend the APFR afterschool and recreation program chose the Allies Gator as their program mascot. Monday through Friday, from 3 to 6 pm, the afterschool and rec team provides an environment that creates a sense of belonging, builds academic confidence, and helps foster new interests and friendships. Their objective is to provide a fun, safe, and enriching environment.
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A Road To Independence
Victory House in the Bronx provides housing and support for homeless young women, including those who are pregnant or parenting. Girls can stay up to 18 months with support to transition into their own apartment.
While at Victory House, young women receive life-skills training health education HIV/AIDS education and substance abuse counseling and treatment. They work on plans to advance their educations in meaningful ways and to prepare for a career.
Several of our residents participated in a program called Art Start, and were featured in their 2017 Portrait Project video.
How To Apply For Shelter
This booklet explains your rights when you apply for shelter at PATH. It explains the eligibility process and how to get help if you are found ineligible. Download the PDF .
*As of March 2020, there have been some important changes to the application process due to the pandemic. Currently, when you apply for shelter at PATH for the first time, only the adults in your family need to go in person to PATH . You do not need to bring your minor children with you . If you are found ineligible for shelter, you will need to reapply. You can reapply over the phone from your shelter placement and do not need to return to PATH in-person to re-apply. It is important to call PATH to reapply as soon as you receive a notice that says you are ineligible.
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Our Mission And Vision
Our services provide an alternative for homeless families in need of temporary transitive housing. Bronx Family Network Inc. allows for individuals and families to maintain their dignity while affording them the opportunity to regain their independence in a safe and healthy environment. Our services include full showers and kitchens, access to clothing, case management and appropriate referrals to substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers, medical and health services along with connections to other services and the support needed to transition to permanent stable housing.Trained case workers work with our families to identify and refer them to the appropriate community and legal resources needed to obtain benefits, immigration support, and healthcare. Case workers also encourage our families to further their education, language and marketable skills to further enable them to live independently and to contribute to their communities.
Allies Place Family Residence
Allies Place Family Residence is HFHs newest site, opening in March of 2020. It combines the services of a traditional family shelter with a full range of programs designed to meet the needs of both the shelter residents and members of the surrounding neighborhood of Soundview in the Bronx.
APFR has 99 studio units for families with children, generally accommodating a pregnant mother or family consisting of one parent and one child. On-site services include nursery/childcare, early childhood education, afterschool & recreation programs, social services, including housing assistance, and access to on-site substance use treatment through Camelot. APFR is the location of a 3,200 sq. ft state-of-the art Culinary Education & Employment Center.
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What Are People Saying About Family Shelters Bronx
Here are some reviews from our users.
“Was there today. Very helpful staff. Its good to help people who are in need. I will be back to help more:)”
“I think it is a very good place they definitely have the ability to help almost everybody and I think they go out of their way as long as you provide as much information and truthful with them they will go out of their way to help you I think it is a very wonderful service and it is good that they are there to help people that really need the help I would suggest or recommend anybody that’s going to need to go there”
“I went there with my son who have lead poisoning and I can not go back to my home after He got discharged from the hospital take took hours to proceed my application and after that they send me to a terrible shelter with my child in his condition.”
“Here yes you wait very long but at least if you hate where you are you can do intake again. You get an apt not a room for you and your family and a counselor which helps you with food, and transitioning to your own home in which they pay a whole year for.”
How You Can Support Our Family Outreach Programs & Services
Providing these programs and services to family shelters requires lots of resources and many volunteers. Any support you can offer is much appreciated.
Because Destiny Helpers Outreach is a 501 nonprofit organization, your contribution may count as a charitable deduction and a qualified tax deductible.
Monetary donations are certainly a big help, but were also in need of a range of staff and other assets to teach classes, facilitate workshops, and supply giveaways to the community.
Consider the list below of possible item donations:
- Cold Weather Clothing
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BronxWorks is known for being a trusted homeless service provider in the Bronx and New York City. A key part of our mission to address homelessness is our work with vulnerable families. Today, BronxWorks operates three Family Residences capable of housing 276 families at a time and recently opened a new emergency Family Sanctuary to assist the migrant families arriving in New York City.
This year marks thirty years of our work providing shelter for homeless families in the Bronx. The BronxWorks Nelson Avenue Family Residence first opened in 1992, followed by the Jackson Avenue Family Residence in 1995, and the Willow Avenue Family Residence in 2004. Today, NAFR can house up to 79 families and, with the largest units, can accommodate families of 6-8 people, while JAFR can house 95 families and WAFR can house 102 families at a time. Combined, the three BronxWorks Family Residences can work with and provide shelter for as many as 500 families in a given year.
Homeless families in New York City enter the shelter system through the Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing Office , the citywide shelter intake center. Based on their intake assessment, families are matched with shelter units depending on their family size and composition and unit availability.
The BronxWorks Family Sanctuary
Why This Work Matters
The BronxWorks Family Sanctuary
Why This Work Matters