To the Editor:

I am writing in response to your December 13th article, “Plan for New Shelter on Lower South Street Shelved”, which detailed a halt on plans for Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP) to build an urgently needed and much improved shelter in our community.

We can credit this crisis to an absent developer and an arguably baseless lawsuit that our city chose not to fight. As a result, an inordinate amount of pressure will be placed on a small non-profit staff to renegotiate a lease plus a rent hike in a subpar space and scout a new shelter location from scratch. All of this while still caring for and providing wraparound services to dozens of unhoused veterans, domestic violence survivors, and others in need. If that wasn’t enough, this team is simultaneously running Fred’s pantry, serving nearly 90,000 (duplicated) of our neighbors each year while also addressing potential threats to that space.

The passionate and talented professionals at CHHOP have dedicated their careers to making our city better and safer for its most vulnerable. But how much more can they reasonably take on? And shouldn’t the city they serve do more to help? CHHOP has issued a call to action, and I hope the community answers it by contacting Peekskill’s elected officials to insist upon their partnership.

Amy Perlow

Peekskill Resident and CHHOP Board Member