In the Bronx, an old student dorm is being turned into a sanctuary shelter by the city to help with the ongoing migrant problem.

College events.Photo byCharles DeLoyeonUnsplash

According to Assemblymember Jeffery Dinowitz, Overlook Manor at 435 West 238th St. will begin taking in families with children this month. Dinowitz said in a statement on Friday that the Department of Homeless Services will be in charge of the site through a third-party company called Westhab. The department is already setting up the 95 rooms that are open for families to move into.

Before it was sold to Manhattan College, the building was built in the 1960s to be flats. A lot of years went by while Overlook Manor was used as an off-campus dorm. In May 2023, Manhattan College sold it to Stagg Group. The organization focuses on making and giving away low-cost homes in the Bronx and Westchester.

Assemblymember Dinowitz's Statement

The city told our office one day in advance that in August, people and things would start moving. The city's lack of transparency is appalling, Assemblymember Dinowitz said in his statement. It doesn't matter if you think this is a reasonable and appropriate use of this location.

Dinowitz pushed for Overlook Manor to be turned into low-cost housing for good after the college shut it down. Dinowitz still wants to know how the city plans to bring migrants into the area. He didn't like that they only texted him one day ahead of time to let him know that the building would be used as a shelter.

In his speech, he talked about how important it was to have security and social services in the building, as well as more Spanish staff at schools across the board.