New York City Intake Shelters

I am a homeless vegan in New York City. Do I want to be homeless? No, I don’t. But it is hard to find a place to live in New York City that is for $500.00 a month even in the outer boroughs. If you are lucky enough to get a place that cheap, it is normally for very few reasons.

1.                    1. You were lucky enough to get some type of housing voucher

2.                     2. You lived in your apartment long enough that because of your age the government has reduced              your rent.

3.                      3.  You are having sex with your roommate to stay there

If it isn’t for one of these reasons you are out of luck. So, here I am living in a shelter. Most people think that the shelters are good to go to. But there are many things you can’t bring into the shelter. You can’t bring in knives, scissors, anything that has glass and that includes mirrors. So, sorry ladies no makeup mirrors either. You have to “pop” those mirrors out. No hairspray in the aerosol cans those are a flammable item, not allowed as well as those dry shampoos. If you have contacts, you need to bring the soap and a towel to dry your hands to be able to put those in. No nail clippers, no twizzers, no laundry detergent even if you are allergic. No, glucose monitors, or needles of any kind. You have to throw all of these out at the door. No drinks except for water is allowed in. No, food is allowed either. You have to sign for your beds between 8pm to 10pm. You have to be in your rooms/the bathroom areas between 10pm-6am unless you have proof that you work or if you have to go to the hospital.

You have to get out of the bedroom area by 7:30am and can’t go back in until at least after dinner if not at 8pm. Unless you have a pass to sleep because of work or a medical condition. All the food is high in sodium and sugar. So, sorry diabetics and those with high blood pressure. You have to suffer. If you want your blood sugar tested you have to go to the nurse between Monday-Friday when they are at the shelter. That is when you can take your insulin too.

If you are eating the meals at the shelter you can’t really go far and if you are Vegan like me there is little healthy food to eat. No whole wheat breads, pasta, or rice. Everything has oil or fat in it. Very little fresh fruit. Most vegetables have some kind of sauce on it that has oil or fat on it. So, a vegetarian can’t eat the veggies. If you have to do laundry, you have to sign up to use the laundry room. If you want to charge your phone, you have to sign up to charge it for only 15 minutes a day. So if you are looking for a job, you have to go find another place to charge your phone.

They have showers, but be careful. If you can’t stand too hot or too cold water, be prepared to stand away from the water while doing most of your showering. Sometimes the water is scalding hot. Also use shower shoes, athletes foot is everywhere. You have to keep all your stuff locked in a locker. They give you a pillow, a pillowcase, 2 flat sheets, a blanket, and a towel. They will wash the sheets (not the pillow) once a week.

Watch out for people who act out, because they might attack you. Also, be careful of your phone, they just might steal it. You can’t have a tablet or a computer in the shelter. You have to keep mostly to yourself and watch all your stuff. You do get a locker with a lock, to keep your stuff safe.

You have to meet with a case manager once a week. You need to get a TB test done, and a psychological evaluation. You need to do these things. So, make sure your schedule allows these things to get done.