Staten Island officials say FDNY inspection found violations at St. John Villa asylum seeker center
NEW YORK -- There are stunning charges about fire code violations at migrant shelters that could force the city to close them down.
The list includes a controversial Staten Island center for asylum seekers, and others in Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens.
"The city has to follow its own rules, particularly those that are there to protect human life," New York City Councilmember David Carr said.
Carr is one of several officials calling on the city to close the St. John Villa Academy migrant shelter after they discovered the Fire Department found fire safety hazard issues that could endanger the lives of people living there.
It's not just St. John Villa. Officials claim the FDNY has reportedly found violations at about half a dozen shelters, including:
- 320 West 31st Street, Manhattan
- 481 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island
- 746 Elton Avenue, The Bronx
- 80-45 Winchester Boulevard, Queens
- 185 East 7th Street, Manhattan
City Council minority leader Joe Borelli detailed some of the violations found by the FDNY.
"There was a lack of fire safety coordination, and fire safety directors. People who are responsible for maintaining egress. There were problems with egress in stairwells being cluttered with personal belongings. There was the issue of the use of propane in many heating units, which is illegal under the city of New York," Borelli said.
But with more and more asylum seekers coming to New York and space at a premium, Borelli said there has been a reluctance to close some of the shelters.
"Over the past month and a half, the Fire Department and OEM and City Hall have been fighting over the timeline of how and when and whether they could, or should, issue vacate orders to remove some of the locations from the list of migrant shelters," Borelli said.
It has been difficult to find out what exactly the city plans to do. The Fire Department referred calls to City Hall.
A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement saying shelter safety is a "top priority."
" Asylum seekers have undergone long and arduous journeys before their arrival in New York City, and we are committed to keeping them safe while they are staying at emergency shelters," the spokesperson said. "We include the FDNY in all fire protection measures we undertake in our asylum seeker operations."
As for St. John Villa?
"The city should do the right thing and shut it down," Staten Island Borough President Vito Fosella said.
CBS New York has learned the migrants will be moved out of two of the locations because the leases are up.
