Tribeca Homeless Getting Bigger, More Crowded Home

Long before Tribeca became identified with film festivals and eight-figure lofts, the neighborhood was home to what is now the city's oldest homeless shelter—The New York City Rescue Mission—and the facility is getting a multi-million makeover. The shelter was founded in 1872 by Jerry and Maria McAuley after the alcoholic and criminal Jerry did a stint in Sing Sing and underwent a religious jailhouse conversion that inspired him to help the poor. The New York City Rescue Mission is now undergoing a $9 million expansion that will add three stories to its roof at 90 Lafayette Street (hovering between Tribeca, Little Italy and Soho), doubling its size and increasing its capacity from 100 beds to 240 beds, according to DNAinfo. Why is there a need to house homeless people in one of the most expensive zip codes in the city? Because as any able panhandler could tell you: that's where the money is.
· TriBeCa Homeless Shelter Begins $9M Expansion to Double in Size [DNAinfo]
· New York City Rescue Mission [nycrescue.org]