By Courtney Dentch
The temporary contract permitting the city to operate a homeless shelter at a bankrupt hotel near Kennedy Airport expired Monday, but the city is still finalizing the details on a long-term contract to allow the shelter to continue through 2017.
The Department of Homeless Services is still hammering out the details of the agreement with the Salvation Army, which has been operating the Carlton House facility since it opened as a shelter in July.
The city agency was expected to sign the new agreement by the end of September, when the temporary contract expired, said DHS spokesman Jim Anderson. The new contract would be for five years, with two options to renew the contract for a total of 15 years.
But the new contract had not been signed as of Tuesday, said James Davis, chairman of Community Board 12, which houses the shelter. The new contract, which is still in the works, would be retroactive to Sept. 30, the expiration date of the temporary contract, he said.
Anderson could not be reached for comment on the status of the contract.
The 335-room hotel has been operating at full capacity since it opened in July. The shelter is a Tier II facility, which means families can stay in the shelter for a maximum of 27 days while they and the city search for permanent housing.
