A recent article in the Village Voice on Rivington House. Electeds sent letter to state urging them to allow Rivington House to operate as a nursing home especially for low-income neighbors who’ve already lost Cabrini and Bialystoker.
Michael Chavez Reilly who wrote a moving Op-Ed about his father’s experience in Rivington House standing with Bob Humber (Coordinator of the Elizabeth Hubbard Memorial Garden and Co-Head Gardener of M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden).
Community Board 3 passed a resolution in support of a nursing home facility (unanimously):
7. Update on Rivington House sale
VOTE: Title: Community Board 3 Resolution to Support Converting Rivington House to a General
Nursing Home with Maximum Beds, Accessible to All in the Community
WHEREAS, Community Board 3, Manhattan values its community facilities that serve our
community, especially the underserved who are most vulnerable, and
WHEREAS,in the last few years, CB 3 has lost its nursing homes, namely Cabrini with its 240
beds and Bialystoker with its 95 beds, comprising a total of 335 nursing home beds lost, and
WHEREAS, Community Board 3 appreciates Rivington House’s (“RH”) service to patients with
AIDS needing skilled nursing services in a skilled nursing facility, but has learned from RH that
it is closing its facility, which will result in the loss of an additional 219 beds in our community,
and
WHEREAS, Community Board 3 believes that people without the financial or other ability to
receive home care, and in need of both short term and long term care, should be able to
remain in their community, supported by friends and family, and
WHEREAS, CB 3 believes that nursing home care should be available to all in the community in
need of such care, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status or any other reason, so
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that CB 3 supports the conversion of RH beds to general nursing
home beds available to those needing nursing home care, including people with AIDS needing
skilled or specialized care, and
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that CB 3 also supports allowing the maximum
number of nursing homes beds (219 beds) in the new nursing home facility that will replace
Rivington House, and
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that CB 3 supports all nursing home beds being made available to all in the community in need of such services, regardless of their ability to pay,
insurance status, or any other reason.