Euclid Hall, a residence for seniors on Broadway between 85th and 86th Streets, appears to be being evacuated, said two people who witnessed residents heading into school buses. Euclid Hall has 273 single occupancy rooms and allows people to use Section 8 vouchers to help pay for their housing.
“There are many school buses lined up on 86th Street and on Broadway between 85th and 86th Street because they are evacuating Euclid Hall,” one wrote, sending the photo above. “All I was told was that it is for the residents’ protection.”
Another wrote: “Out of my living room window I see multiple mini yellow buses being loaded with what looks like the senior residence SRO occupants by drivers in white hazmat suits.” She sent the photo below.
Update: Lauren Schuster of Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal’s office sent the following explanation: “They are moving the residents into hotels so that they can practice social distancing and each would have access to a separate bathroom.” We have asked for more info on whether this was in response to a coronavirus outbreak and which hotel the residents are being taken to.
We reached out to the nonprofit that runs Euclid Hall, the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, by phone and email but didn’t hear back. We also reached out to the NYC Department of Health, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Councilmembers Helen Rosenthal and Mark Levine. We will update this if they respond.
How despicable and horrifying. Is this going to become everyday occurrences by our government! If so the 25th amendment needs to be evoked!
25th Amendment? Lets start locally and REMOVE the #DEMOCRAT ESTABLISHMENT in NYC and State that is costing us many lives with their insane lies and misdeeds!
Since when is it despicable to protect our most vulnerable citizens???
The only despicable thing about ti is that you find it despicable. Shame on you.
Sydney Barrows – no, shame on you that you don’t understand that it’s just a CYA operation. If the building management were really concerned about us, they would have tested everyone for the virus and not given us a fake reason for the evacuation to a hotel.
Joan P Weiss – What nonsense…the Mayor controls the city. Do you really think the President is controlling the actions of all 320 million Americans and thousands of commercial interests in all 50 states & thousands of local municipalities. You’re really showing your stupidity by mentioning the 25th amendment. Keep voting losers like DeBlasio into office…does nothing and then complains when the adults in the room don’t help.
Joan P Weiss
I think that you meant to write invoked. This has nothing to do with the 25th Amendment.
Moving these seniors out very quickly to a safe setting is the most compassionate thing to do. Perhaps the risk of Coronavirus spreading to each other or us was high. These are NOT normal times. Let’s all have some patience and look for the good in these terrible times.
no, it wasn’t the compassionate thing to do – it was an ill conceived, poorly executed operation that is actually putting people at risk.
are you arguing these elderly, helpless people should be left to their own devices?
evoked???
did you mean revoked? or invoked?
Sy – I am a tenant in the building. Being over 50 doesn’t make me helpless. I’m younger than Martha Stewart, Meryl Streep, Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. No one calls them elderly and helpless. Oh wait – they have millions of dollars.
I was actually considering ordering pizza today or tomorrow from the place in that building if it was open – they have very good pizza and the owners seem like nice guys so I wanted to support them. There are always several residents of the building hanging out there so now I’m not so sure. Most of the residents are older.
I hope everyone is safe and healthy and is able to be relocated adequately.
Mama’s. Great Pie.
The pizza place closed 🙁
Where are they taking them to? That’s an important piece of info we need to know
A friend lives there….taking them to hotel in midtown…someone on staff tested positive …think this is the correct approach if they disinfect the building..
They all recieved notices yesterday that t h ey wete veing relocated to a undisclosed location without giving a reason why
Cynthia – exactly. I am a tenant in the building. They lied to us, saying that it was for building repair, when actually it is an illegal quarantine.
#NEWSFLASH: All 300 residents of #EUCLIDHOUSE on Broadway @ West 86 St. have just now been ordered to pack 1 plastic bag full of clothes, grab their medication and be moved to an UNDISCLOSED location 10 AM this Monday morning! This is less than 24 hours notification and there is no telephone or email address for appeals. These mostly men are elderly Veterans and people in recovery. The order was issued by the Deputy Mayor of NYC. The Notice appears to have no legal quarantine status yet says these people should be prepared to be gone for up to 14 days!!!
Cynthia I am a tenant in the building. It’s not mostly men. Yes, the quarantine is illegal.
To the few people that are freaking out about this: an SRO is an 80 to 140 square foot room. These men are quarantined in the tiny room all day; EXCEPT they share showers, toilets and kitchens with everyone else on the floor. Included any infected individuals. They are a part of a the most at risk population. Do you really think being moved to an individual hotel unit is a horrifying prospect? Or is it saving their life? I’m curious where they have been taken as well. But if they are actually in single hotel rooms/apartments at this point then I think that’s wonderful. Hopefully we can continue to be more proactive to stop the spread in the most at risk cohorts.
West Side person
you’re not informed. The tenants are both women and men. I am a female tenant. We have been lied to and illegally quarantined. It’s not good and not safe. We should have been tested for the virus in the building before being transported like cattle and dumped in a motel on the outskirts of nowhere. Ask yourself how you would like to be rounded up with all the tenants of your building and dumped in a remote location.
Your point is?
Do you want to give each resident your contact to verify their health, housing and employment status?
Is there some reason to suspect WSFSSH does not want to provide supportive housing for these people at this location? Please help with some context. TY.
I hope the residents are allowed to take their fur babies.
Sounds to me like they are being very proactive in guarding this vulnerable population from harm, given the shared nature of kitchens and baths. So glad they moved them at the first sign of possible exposure
we are human beings not cattle.
I live in that building. It’s a disaster. The building management lied to us: they came knocking on doors on Sunday night telling us that we had to be ready to leave for a hotel on Monday morning – because they were going to be cleaning the building. They didn’t tell us that 7 tenants were hospitalized last week (perhaps with the virus). I found out by accident today from a nurse when we got to the hotel.
Euclid Hall has shared bathrooms? That building should be emptied and modernized anyway.
Ernest – “the building should be emptied and modernized” – that’s a cavalier statement. Where are the 300 tenants supposed to live in the meantime that the building is being modernized? And how can bathrooms be installed in small one room dwellings, the size of a jail cell?
thank you C Tydes for your on going commentary and for giving he perspective of a resident. Why do people keep ignoring you? It seems like your opinion matters.
Most S.R.O.s do.
West Side Rag,
Please continue to follow this story. If something nefarious is going on — i.e., if the building’s owners want to renovate it into a more lucrative operation — a glaring light must be shone on it to protect the current residents.
On the other hand, if the evacuation is truly for the good of the residents — and it seems from what people are reporting about conditions in the building and the presence of the virus that that could be the case — then public attention may force them to be more forthright with the tenants.
(I am assuming it’s not a city-owned building. If it is, there will be hell to pay — not necessarily for moving the people, but for the high-handed and frightening way it is being handled.)
Why immediately jump to the conclusion that something nefarious is going on? That seems to be your primary focus. Is it that hard to imagine that an SRO with shared facilities might have caused a health problem that they’re trying to correct?
I watched this horror show from my window, while leaving messages for news outlets. We live in a rent stabilized apartment, a rarity on the UWS. Might this “evacuation” presage renovation and sell-off to create more luxury housing.? Is this “disaster capitalism” at the expense of our neighbors? Let’s make sure it’s not!
A bit about the Euclid’s owners:
https://www.wsfssh.org/buildings/euclid-hall/
I walk my dog by here every day, last week alone I saw two people being put into ambulances (seems there would be more than what I witnessed). Moving people together was likely not safe, we can only hope people are doing what they think is right. Need to get that rapid test out asap. Sorry for everyone there who was put in this position. I hope youre all well!!!
Hundreds of Elderly and Homeless crammed into Holiday Inn West 57 St. No Social Distance protocols. No Masks. No Hand sanitizer. Many are evacuees from EUCLID HOUSE where they should have stayed in quarantine rather than be exposed like this. Many of the elderly Veterans and people in recovery have serious HEALTH ISSUES. This is like NAZI Germany.
They should do the same with all the people on the streets, they’re in danger and if they get sick we’re all in big trouble.many sleep outside cant bath or use a bathroom and at the same time you can keep hotels in business and place these people where they belong hopefully in they’re own homes or medical facilities where they can be treated
I am a Veteran from Euclid Hall. We were told 10 days to 2 weeks. Now hearing 1) could be two mos. 2)They are converting to field hospital. AND TRUE FACTS WOULD EASE ANXIETY!!!!
Seems like there’s a valid reason for this action. Hopefully there will also be a true and clear explanation.
I’m glad that WSFSSH acted quickly to move some of the West Sides most vulnerable residents. Shared bathrooms and kitchens make social distancing almost impossible. I’m glad residents are able to have their own space to allow them to maintain optimal wellbeing in this scary time and I look forward to welcoming them back to the neighborhood in a healthier time.