Group behind Danforth, Hudson Ridge ‘crisis' releases statement
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Well after dozens of vulnerable seniors living at Danforth and Hudson Ridge towers in Rochester say they were told they had to move out by Saturday, the group that had cared for them remained silent, until Friday.
Family Service of Rochester, which also goes by Family Service Communities, released a statement to News 8 Friday offering a brief summary of what was happening, but did not explain why or respond to allegations of financial and administrative mismanagement.
The statement confirms much of the State Department of Health, or DOH, has already reported, including the end of a program (Enriched Housing Program, or EHP) that placed around 100 senior citizens in Danforth and Hudson Ridge apartment towers and provided services for them.
Family Service of Rochester went on to say, 'The programs are being closed to ensure the continued health and safety of the resident participants. Residents in the programs are receiving assistance from both the Department of Health and Family Service in finding appropriate/safe alternative housing and health services. We appreciate the strong and dedicated work of the staff at both programs during this time.'
Earlier this week, the program's closure had many residents under the impression they were being evicted and could be out on the street this weekend.
Thursday, Rochester Housing Authority, which operates the two towers but does not care for the residents under EHP, stated there was no eviction, but DOH was relocating some of those affected while others were invited to stay and live in the towers under a different program.
DOH says the program closure was prompted by a review that found several problems with how Family Services was running it.
Specifically, DOH found Family Service of Rochester, which is based in Fairport, accepted people who needed more services than EHP could provide, lacked of supervision, provided poor record keeping, did not monitor narcotics, failed to offer proper nutrition, and did not adhere to medication protocol.
DOH went on to say Family Service of Rochester did not have the resources to address the violations and 'voluntarily surrendered their licenses and opted to close the programs,' emphasizing the decision was made by Family Service of Rochester and not the state, adding the process of moving residents required urgency because Family Service of Rochester's 'staffing was insufficient and funding was depleted.'
Meanwhile, RHA Executive Director Shawn Burr said Family Service failed to pay the rent owed to RHA – rent the tenants had already paid to Family Service.
Burr said he'd like to see an investigation and those responsible for any misconduct or mismanagement be held accountable.
In their statement Friday, Family Service of Rochester did not address the DOH findings or RHA accusations.
News 8 has called Family Service of Rochester several times.
Friday, the person who answered the phone said Neil Cavalieri, who is listed on the not-for-profit's website as the CEO, no longer works there.
Also, IRS filings show a bleak financial picture dating back to 2022.
It does not appear the City of Rochester nor Monroe County have any direct role in any of this, but both have involved themselves to try to fix the problem.
Rochester Housing Authority has encouraged anyone under EHP who was not relocated to stay in their home so they can be placed under a different program that will allow them to remain where they are.
Also, Legal Assistance of WNY has sent attorneys to both facilities to offer advice to shaken residents and their families.
'We're here to help the residents through challenging times that was not handled in a good way, pressuring people to move without much notice… we have people in tears about it and it should not have happened this way,' said Jeff Nieznanski, an attorney with Legal Assistance of WNY.
If you need to contact them, call (585) 325-2520.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kauaʻi to survey community for emergency preparedness
LIHUE, Hawaii (KHON2) — The Hawaiʻi Department of Health's Kauaʻi District Health Office will be conducting a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, also known as a CASPER survey, this month to assess the preparedness of the island's community. From June 23 to June 27, survey teams will canvas 30 randomly selected blocks in the island, with seven houses from each block will also be systematically selected and surveyed. Wanted man arrested after 'crime spree' leads to officer-involved shooting Households will be asked about their plans should an emergency occur or evacuations be necessary, in regards to any climate issues, disease issues and general day-to-day Kauaʻi topics. 'By asking households about their emergency supplies and evacuation plans, CASPER surveys enable the Kauaʻi District Health Office and the county to better meet our community's needs before, during and after a disaster,' said Lauren Guest, a deputy district health officer from the Kauaʻi Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity also added that the surveys help emergency response staff train in the field prior to a local disaster. Survey teams will be made up of DOH staff, Kauaʻi Medical Reserve Corps and the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete, and participation is voluntary. Responses are completely confidential. This will mark the eighth CASPER survey on the island. For prior survey reports, visit DOH's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Iowa exits statewide air quality alert
Smoke from Canadian wildfires worsened air quality in the eastern U.S. on Wednesday as several Midwestern states battled conditions deemed unhealthy by the federal government. The fires have forced thousands of Canadians to flee their homes and sent smoke as far as Europe. Iowa issued a statewide air quality alert through early Thursday, urging residents to limit certain outdoor activities and warning of possible health effects due to the thick smoke. Wisconsin officials made similar suggestions as the smoke drifted southeast across the state. In the U.S., smoke lingered on the skylines of cities from Kansas City to Minneapolis, and a swath of the region had unhealthy air quality Wednesday, according to an Environmental Protection Agency map. In Stoughton, Wisconsin, Nature's Garden Preschool was keeping its kids indoors Wednesday due to the bad air quality, which interferes with the daily routine, said assistant teacher Bailey Pollard. The smoke looked like a coming storm, he said. The 16 or 17 kids ages 12 weeks to 5 years old would typically be outdoors running or playing with water, balls and slides, but were instead inside doing crafts with Play-Doh or coloring. The situation was unfortunate because kids need to be outside and have fresh air and free play, Pollard said. 'It's something where we've got to take precaution for the kids,' he said. 'Nobody wants to stay inside all day.' In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, authorities advised people shut windows at night, avoid strenuous activity outside and watch for breathing issues. Parts of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York had areas of moderate air quality concern, and officials advised sensitive people to consider reducing outdoor activity. Unhealthy conditions persist in Midwest The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an alert for almost the entire state into Wednesday, but the Twin Cities area got the region's worst of it Tuesday. Children's Minnesota, a network of pediatric clinics and hospitals in the Twin Cities area, has seen a 'modest increase' increase this week in patients with symptoms that doctors attributee to polluted air, Dr. Chase Shutak said. Their symptoms have included breathing problems, including asthma and other upper respiratory issues, said Shutak, who stays in close touch with other pediatricians in his role as medical director of the Minneapolis primary care clinic at Children's. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources warned that air quality in a band from the state's southwest corner to the northeast could fall into the unhealthy category through Thursday morning. The agency recommended that people — especially those with heart and lung disease — avoid long or intense activities and to take extra breaks during strenuous activity outdoors. Conditions at ground level are in the red The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow map showed a swath of red for 'unhealthy' conditions across Wisconsin and northern Iowa. Conditions in northern Michigan also reflected many unhealthy zones. The Air Quality Index was around 160 in many parts of the upper Midwest, indicating poor conditions. The Air Quality Index , or AQI, measures how clean or polluted the air is, indicating which health effects might be experienced within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. It is based on ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Particulates are the main issue from the fires. The index ranges from green, indicating satisfactory air quality that poses little or no risk, to maroon, which is considered hazardous. That level comes with health warnings of emergency conditions, which are more likely to affect everyone. There were areas of reduced air quality all over the U.S. on Wednesday, with numerous advisories about moderate air quality concerns as far from the fires as Kansas and Georgia. The air quality was considerably better Wednesday in Minnesota, where only the barest hint of haze obscured the downtown Minneapolis skyline. The city experienced some of the worst air in the country on Tuesday. But the air quality index, which had reached the mid-200 range, or 'very unhealthy' on Tuesday, was down to 60, or 'moderate,' by Wednesday afternoon. The Canadian fire situation even reaches Europe Canada is having another bad wildfire season. Most of the smoke reaching the American Midwest has been coming from fires northwest of the provincial capital of Winnipeg in Manitoba. Canada's worst-ever wildfire season was in 2023 and choked much of North America with dangerous smoke for months. The smoke over western Europe is expected to keep moving eastward, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. It's causing hazy skies, but not expected to affect surface-air quality. However, it could rise high enough to be carried that far, indicating the immense size and intensity of the fires, according to Copernicus. Whittle reported from Portland. Karnowski reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writers Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan; and Scott McFetridge in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
DOH-Bay County lifts advisory as water quality improves at parks
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The Florida Department of Health in Bay County is lifting the advisory for high bacterial levels for the following locations: Carl Gray Park (SP 9) Collegiate Drive Panama City, FL Beach Drive (SP10) U.S 98 West Beach Drive Panama City Earl Gilbert Park (SP11) 6601 Oak Shore Drive Parker, FL DOH-Bay issues water quality advisories for three parks According to a news release, tests were completed on June 2. Results indicate that the water quality at the locations shows an acceptable level of Enterococcus bacteria established by state guidelines. Test results are available here. For more information about Florida Health, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
