By Laura Kusisto
Today a group of men huddled outside the Bedford Atlantic homeless shelter saying they had no place else to go.
Men pour out of the Bedford Atlantic Armory each morning, and spend the day standing on the corner looking for work. As today’s blizzard dumped over a foot of snow an hour on the city, more than a dozen shelter residents stood on the street corner outside the shelter braving the blowing snow.
“It can get colder than this,” said Marcus Springs. “I need some work.” He has lived in the shelter for over a year. Since he lost his job, he stands outside most of the day, seven days a week, looking to be picked up by contractors or movers for a temporary day labor.
Springs sees opportunities in the cold. Earlier that day, he helped a man unload his truck on the slippery streets for some spare change.
This is one of the worst storms he’s seen, he said, but it would have to drop below 10 or 20 degrees for him to go inside.
“I guess I’ll be out here until the end of the day,” he said. “I need some money, that’s what I need.” During the day, he hides under scaffolding outside the shelter, but police come by every half hour and tell him to move.
The men said there is nowhere to go in the shelter during the day except a small common room and for that reason they go outside. A spokesman for the shelter declined to comment. Officials at the New York City Department of Homeless Services said Wednesday there is space for anyone who seeks shelter at night.
“The snow and the rain are bad,” said Akin Gist. “It soaks you right to the bone.” He had been standing outside for over two hours and said it was one of the worst days he’d experienced in six years on the corner at Bedford and Atlantic.
“I’ve been out here since 7:30 a.m.,” said Jamol Jones, who crashes with friends at night, but in the day has no place to go. He doesn’t want to make the trip to Manhattan to try to get a bed in a shelter. “I came outside to see if I can hustle me some money shoveling snow or something,” he said.
After four hours, ankle deep in snow wearing pale yellow sneakers, he still had no luck.
“I ain’t shoveled near snow yet,” he said, as he twirled around with his red shovel on his shoulder.
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