Veteran urges New Yorkers to track promised fixes at Borden Avenue shelter

Key facts

Outlet

Daily News readers' letters column, published Oct. 24, 2026

Shelter

Borden Avenue Veterans Residence, Long Island City

Population

Veterans only; described as the only veterans-only shelter in the city

Hearing

City Council hearing on veterans homelessness, held on a Wednesday

Reported conditions

Small cubicles, showers and bathrooms with no privacy, roof leaks caught by tarps and buckets

Promised fix

Privacy for all 32 showers

Deadline

Six to eight weeks from the hearing; the writer says early December

Source

Letter from a disabled Navy veteran in Jamaica, Queens

What it means

The highlights

1. The city promised privacy for all 32 showers within six to eight weeks.
2. That deadline falls in early December, the letter writer says.
3. Council members found roof leaks caught by tarps and buckets.

Why it matters Caseworkers

Caseworkers placing homeless veterans can use the early December deadline to check whether promised shelter repairs actually happen.

What to do: Follow up on Borden Avenue shower and roof repairs in early December.

Not known yet

• Which city agency made the promise and who is responsible for the repairs
• Whether there is any timeline for the roof leaks, cubicles or bathroom access at night
• How many veterans currently live at Borden Avenue
• The exact date of the hearing and whether a transcript or video is public

Background

New York City's shelter system is overseen by the Department of Social Services, which includes the Department of Homeless Services. The City Council can hold oversight hearings where agency officials testify and sometimes commit to repairs or timelines. Those commitments are not court orders. Follow-up usually depends on later hearings, Council inquiries or public attention.