She Works in a Homeless Shelter, and She Lives in One, Too
Many employees of New York’s homeless shelters are themselves in precarious economic situations, taking on multiple jobs, working overtime and struggling to find their own homes.
Amber Drummond, a security guard at a homeless shelter in Queens, also lives in a shelter because, she says, she has been unable to find housing she can afford. Credit.Sarah Blesener for The New York Times
April 16, 2021Updated 9:00 a.m. ET
At the end of a 16-hour double shift at a homeless shelter in Queens, Amber Drummond, a security guard, was desperate to relax. But Ms. Drummond said she shared a room with a woman who was messy and constantly on her phone.
Uncovering Abuse Cases in New York’s Shelters
The reporter whose investigation led to criminal inquiries of a group that operates housing for the homeless talks about how a tip and persistence helped break the story.
Marta Del Valle reported that she had been sexually harassed while living in a homeless shelter.Credit.Kholood Eid for The New York Times
Feb. 23, 2021
In 2019, Amy Julia Harris, an investigative reporter for The New York Times’s Metro desk, received a tip about Victor Rivera, the head of the Bronx Parent Housing Network, one of the largest operators of homeless shelters in New York City. Earlier this month, she published her report, which revealed that Mr. Rivera had been accused of sexual assault and harassment and financial improprieties but had operated largely with impunity for years. Within hours, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would hire an independent auditor to look into the city’s shelter system. The Bronx district attorney opened a criminal investigati