Staten Island migrant shelter at former school to close over asbestos concerns, elected officials say

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — One of the borough’s migrant shelters is set to close its doors in the coming days over asbestos concerns, the Advance/SILive.com learned Thursday.

The shelter, located at the former Richard H. Hungerford School site in Stapleton, will close by Sunday, a pair of local elected officials confirmed.

A visit to the site on Tompkins Avenue around noon Thursday saw about 20 people, some with suitcases, lining both sides of the street. A group who spoke with the Advance/SILive.com in Spanish said they were making their way elsewhere because the temperature inside the building had grown too cold.

Spokespersons for Mayor Eric Adams’ administration did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn) said contacts in the administration confirmed to her that the Hungerford site would be closing by Sunday because of asbestos concerns.

“The administration confirmed for us that the site will be evacuated by Sunday due to asbestos issues and ongoing work by the School Construction Authority,” Scarcella-Spanton said. “This location was closed from being a school because of unsafe conditions, so it shouldn’t have been used to house anyone to begin with, but I am happy to see that it will be ceasing operations for these purposes.”

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