ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)- Mold, bugs, excessive garbage, structural damage, and generally poor conditions in New York homeless shelters are the result of inadequate oversight by the Office of Temporary Disability Services (OTDA).
The New York State Comptroller’s Office says an audit of facilities statewide showed unsatisfactory conditions in 60% of the shelters they visited in Spring 2019.
The comptroller’s office says OTDA is failing to make sure homeless facilities comply with state rules, laws and regulations. They also say OTDA delayed sending requested information, scheduling site visits, and meetings.
Pictures were taken by auditors at homeless shelters across the state highlighting the various unhealthy conditions they encountered. A moldy, crumbling ceiling with peeling paint is shown at a shelter in Albany County.
There is also a picture of a shower with extensive black mold at a Saratoga County hotel/motel being used as a shelter. Photos from 2016 of the same facilities pictured in the 2019 report reveal how these shelters ignored violations, leading to further deterioration of facilities.
Homeless facilities with cockroach infestations, rodent droppings, and an insect hive were documented in the New York City area.
The report also included OTDA’s response to the audit. They disagreed with many of the findings and asked that the comptroller’s office remove its assessment that OTDA was not adequately overseeing shelters.
Comptroller’s key findings
- OTDA is not providing adequate supervision of homeless shelters.
- There are discrepancies between OTDA’s shelter inventory and local district lists of facilities.
- Plans to secure permanent housing for homeless individuals and families are not being completed timely or at all.
- Transparency and cooperation issues led to delays in information being released to the comptroller’s office.
