Homeless Services breaks own rules, lets people sleep overnight at office

Metro

By Jennifer Bain and Yoav Gonen

October 11, 2014 | 3:32am

Modal Trigger

A homeless person sleeps on a Manhattan street on August 22, 2014 in New York City. Photo: Getty Images

The Department of Homeless Services has broken its own longstanding rules by letting people sleep overnight on chairs at its Bronx office, The Post has learned.
At other times, DHS bent the rules by shuttling people to a nearby hotel before dawn for as little as an hour — before returning them to the center.
“You’re not supposed to sleep there, they’re supposed to take you somewhere. They didn’t,” said Cynthia Penns, who was with her 14-year-old son. “There were a lot of people sleeping — kids, babies, too.”
The strain at the registration center comes as the homeless population has increased by 4,400 since January to more than 56,000.
DHS spokesman Chris Miller said just five families have slept overnight at the intake center.