Nearly 200 residents of Port Washington’s Harborside, a retirement community that has been plagued by bankruptcy issues for years, now potentially face eviction after the state Health Department struck down the sale of the community.
“It’s not just a building, a piece of real estate,” resident Rhoda Finer said. “It’s a community – a stimulating place buzzing with activity. A meeting place with my friends, my extended family, my home.”
Harborside residents, their family members, employees and elected officials gathered Thursday morning to rally for the sale to be honored to protect its 181 residents from having to leave their home and community.
Attendees, most of whom were residents, chanted “save our home” and held up signs demanding action by the governor to help them.
Multiple residents expressed fear of potential eviction, especially couples who reside in separate facilities at the Harborside due to their medical needs.
Bob Curtis and his wife of 59 years, Sandra Curtis, moved to the Harborside three years ago when his wife began experiencing cognitive impairment. They live in separate facilities with his wife housed in the memory unit.
He praised the services and care provided by Harborside and its staff, including the ability to see his wife every day and the enjoyment and support the two both have there.
“I do not think I can replace what I have here,” Bob Curtis said. “I say that because I have friends with spouses in other communities, and I hear their complaints about the level of care all the time. I do not complain.”
He attributed the high level of care in Harborside’s memory unit to the years the staff has spent together and their love for their residents.
He said the risk of eviction also comes with the threat of a diminished level of care for his wife and greater costs.
Multiple elected officials spoke in support of helping the retirement community. This included Rep. Tom Suozzi, state Assembly Member Gina Sillitti and state Sen. Jack Martin’s chief of staff who spoke on behalf of him.
“This place is more than just a retirement community,” Sillitti said. “It is truly a home.”
Suozzi praised the community rally, saying that “quiet diplomacy” has not worked, which therefore calls for speaking out about the issue.
He called for the governor to appoint someone to resolve this issue.
The Harborside, which provides for seniors’ varying care needs, including independent and assisted living, memory care, nursing care, hospice, and rehabilitation, filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2023, the third time in nine years.
The sale of the financially unstable community was awarded to Life Care Services, otherwise known as LCS, in late December after the Des Moines-based company won an auction for the 329-unit development earlier in the year.
The deal was then revoked by LCS in August, according to Newsday, due to prolonged waiting for approvals by the state Health Department and Department of Financial Services. The Department of Health denied the application earlier this month due to a lack of information, according to Newsday.
A Change.org petition was started on Oct. 19 to challenge the state’s decision to block the sale, and garnered nearly 2,000 signatures within five days. It was started by Ronnie Cardno whose 87-year-old grandmother resides at the retirement home.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a Q&A earlier this week that she is working to ensure that the residents have housing and will not face eviction. But she said this cannot come as a compromise to illegal conduct.
“My concern is, No. 1, the safety and well-being of the residents,” Hochul said. “They don’t deserve to be played as pawns in this negotiation, which has led us to conclude that there are safety and health considerations that cannot be overlooked. We cannot overlook state law – which says that in order for there to be a transfer there have to be certain conditions met.”
Hochul said coming to an agreement with the buyer is not a possibility as it would compromise state laws that she said are in place for the safety of the residents. She said there are other “prospective partners.”
Constance Miceli, a resident and member of the Unsecured Creditors Committee involved in the sale, said that Hochul is “totally misinformed” by the Department of Health. She claimed that deficiencies cited by the Health Department are either false, irrelevant or solvable and expressed faith in LCS’s transparency.
“If they really wanted to save us, they would have continued to negotiate instead of dropping us like a hot potato,” Miceli said.
Miceli said letters from Hochul’s aide have offered the residents help with finding them a new place to live. She said she and other residents don’t want this.
“No, we would like to stay here until the end of our lives,” Miceli said.
