Residents: Bronx shelter in poor condition, unfit for families

Mice, mold and roaches make an East 171st Street shelter unfit for families, according to residents. HELP Bronx Morris Avenue is a transitional housing facility that accommodates about 200 families.

News 12 Staff

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Jul 19, 2014, 2:21 AM

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Updated 3,813 days ago

Mice, mold and roaches make an East 171st Street shelter unfit for families, according to residents.

HELP Bronx Morris Avenue is a transitional housing facility that accommodates about 200 families.

Donee Peterson and her three children have been living in the shelter for six months. The 32-year-old Bronx mother has complained to her case worker, maintenance and local officials, and she says nothing has been done to clean up the conditions inside the building.

Officials from the HELP Bronx Morris Avenue shelter say inspections were immediately performed and repairs began within two days of notification. They found that there was some damage to the ceiling of the unit, but no evidence of a rodent or insect problem.

Other families living in the shelter agree with Peterson and are unhappy with their living conditions. One resident told News 12 The Bronx that a security guard suggested they not speak to the media because the shelter would throw them out.

The facility says that residents are always welcome to speak with whomever they want.