Q&A
Conditions and improvements at Borden Avenue Veterans Residence
0:44:12
ยท
4 min
Council Member Holden and Associate Commissioner Russell discuss recent improvements and ongoing concerns at the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence.
- 233 individual pods have been installed to provide privacy for residents
- The facility has been repainted and upgrades have been made to the wait space and recreation area
- There have been improvements in food quality, moving from plastic to stainless steel trays with hot food
- Ongoing concerns include the need for a fully operational kitchen and addressing various complaints from residents
- A security assessment has been conducted, leading to recommendations for staff training and other improvements
Robert F. Holden
0:44:12
All right.
0:44:12
Let's talk about Borden Avenue because we get, you know, we visited there a number of times.
0:44:16
We have a connection there.
0:44:18
We certainly, by the way, Mayor Adams did, you know, when I reached out to him about the individual rooms for the veterans there instead of being in the open in the congregate setting, he invested, you know, DHS and through in DHS at that time, Commissioner Jenkins invested in those cubicles or those rooms, and that's helped.
0:44:40
I want to give credit to the mayor because I reached out to him, I photographed what I saw at veterans, at the Borden Avenue Veterans, and he made it, know, within months we had it all set up, so DHS has gets credit, certainly so does the mayor, I just want to put that out there on the record.
0:45:02
So we heard about conditions, you know, every time we go there, know, there's complaints, there's we know that there's been a slight upgrade in the food.
0:45:09
We want to get the kitchen fully operational where we can get, because I know I ran into a lot of chefs, wannabe chefs, who said, hey, look, I I went to culinary school, I I could I could cook, I I would love to practice and probably get a job as a as a chef in in a restaurant, and it's my passion, and we have a working kitchen, but I can't use it.
0:45:35
I know there's classes in there that in Borden from time to time, but I don't know if we have a full operational or we should have a full operational kitchen.
0:45:44
I know the food's been upgraded
Sonya Russell
0:45:46
Yes, sir.
Robert F. Holden
0:45:46
From those little plastic trays.
Sonya Russell
0:45:48
Correct.
Robert F. Holden
0:45:49
So now we get stainless steel trays with hot food, you know, but it's it's brought in.
Sonya Russell
0:45:55
Yes.
0:45:55
That is correct.
Robert F. Holden
0:45:56
So my goal before I leave as as chair this year, is to try to get that kitchen operational.
0:46:04
And I know it's a budgetary item and that's what we're going be negotiating now, but we've gotten complaints about the conditions there, the cleanliness, the, I get veterans who, you know, who tell me that this person shouldn't be in there, that person should be in a hospital because they really need treatment, and, you know, so we get complaints, and it's really kind of the same complaints.
0:46:33
So if you could just talk about, you know, commissioner, what you've seen and what areas need to be improved and associate commissioner, if you can talk about it a little bit in your visits to Borden.
0:46:47
Like, what what can we fix?
0:46:49
What would you like to see?
Sonya Russell
0:46:51
I would like to see more housing for our veterans and all non veterans.
Robert F. Holden
0:46:54
We all would like that.
0:46:55
But let's say fixing the conditions at Borden.
Sonya Russell
0:46:58
So, I mean, we have made some significant changes at Borden since last we spoke.
0:47:04
Again, the 233 pods have since been erected.
0:47:08
In working with ICL, who is the provider at that location, we have since painted the entire facility so that it is aesthetically pleasing.
0:47:16
We have upgraded the wait space so those veterans who are coming in have a nice wait space.
0:47:23
We have upgraded the recreation area, including exercise equipment.
0:47:27
So, again, those veterans that are inside, they have a space in which they could, read a book and or exercise as a form of, activity.
0:47:36
So there has been some significant changes since the last time, and we invite the, city council out for a visit if time allows you to do so.
0:47:46
As it relates to the complaints, while we recognize there are some complaints, we take them on a case by case basis.
0:47:53
We have had a security assessment done at the location, and we are currently working on enacting some of those recommendations.
0:48:04
The one of the recommendation was training for the staff on how to deal with individuals that are involved in physical altercations.
0:48:11
So we are working currently with the Department of Homeland Services Police Department to provide that training.
0:48:17
The, security provider also has an annual training for its, staff.
0:48:23
So it is an ongoing issue that we have that we continue
Robert F. Holden
0:48:26
to provide.
0:48:26
How many how many counselors does does does Borden have?
0:48:31
Full time counselors?