New York, NY —

After 16 years in service, the city’s only place of respite for homeless senior citizens is closing in June. Peter’s Place serves about 180 people a day. Their average age is just under 70.

This so-called drop-in center offers hot meals, showers and help with finding housing. Some come and go; others have been there for years. They watch TV, sleep, or find other ways to pass the time. It's a meager existence but for some of the frailest and weakest of the homeless, it is the only safe place they know. WNYC’s Cindy Rodriguez has more.

REPORTER: Down in the basement of a church on 23rd Street, where the only light is fluorescent, you might think you’ve entered the recreation room of a nursing home.

SPEAKER: Let’s welcome Veronica and she’s going to talk about Madame CJ Walker

REPORTER: It’s black history month and a speech about a woman who made millions off hair products for African-Americans is about to be given. Only a few clap. Most are slumped in black chairs sleeping, with canes and walkers by their side.

SPEAKER: Any young woman who has a dream just put it out there and go for it.

REPORTER: Most of the dreams in this audience have either already been lived or are long deferred. And with this drop-in center closing in June, the priority for most is finding a place to live. Caseworker Damien Pratt says that’s a tall order given the lack of supply:

PRATT: And what we’ve been dealing with is probably for one housing resource there’s about five people who need it.

REPORTER: Partnership for the Homeless Runs Peter’s Place. The non-profit says it decided to close after the city announced it was restructuring drop – in centers and had plans to absorb seniors into places for a general homeless population. For some at Peter’s Place, the thought of that is scary.

BONETA: People like my age they, get robbed and they get pushed. It’s way, way different from Peter’s Place.

REPORTER: Milano Boneta is 70 years old and has been staying at Peter’s Place for three years. Boneta, a former European brick layer and union carpenter, has been down on his luck for a long time. He grew old on the streets and eventually made his way to Peter’s Place:

BONETA: I know everyone and everyone knows me. We look out for each other, especially for me on the crutches. They always help me with my bag, or whatever, just like a beautiful big family.

REPORTER: Boneta says he’s had several hip replacement surgeries but his cuts keep getting infected. Ailments are common at Peter’s Place. Ruthann Akins shuffles and is slightly stooped when she walks. She says she suffers from sciatica and two meniscus tears – a common knee injury:

AKINS: With me and a lot of these people here it’s hard to get out on your own and walk and get an apartment. The sicknesses, the this the that, the weather will affect us more. I’m not saying we are some kind of freak, but it happens that way.

REPORTER: Akins is a singer who has a Masters in acting and movement and the last apartment she had was in Murray Hill. She lost it five years ago, then lived in a series of rented rooms until landing at Peter’s Place in January of ‘08. She survives off a disability check of $768 a month and says her friends have all died, she’s divorced, and never had children – a decision she regrets:

AKINS: I’m pretty much alone and I just hope that I can get something soon because it’s closing in June, I’m under a lot of pressure. I have to.

REPORTER: The city’s Department of Homeless Services says it understands the concerns and special needs of homeless seniors. DHS Commissioner Robert Hess says the agency is exploring different ideas:

HESS: They may be able to access services through the senior centers and we may be able to assist the senior centers with coordinating with housing for these individuals.

REPORTER: But senior centers are going through a major overhaul too and skeptical advocates call it a false promise. They say senior centers don’t have the staff, expertise or funds to deal with the homeless. The Department for the Aging oversees senior centers. A spokesman says the agency is working with DHS to explore all possible options.

It’s evening at Peter’s Place and time for homeless seniors to be dropped off by bus in front of Madison Avenue Baptist Church where they will sleep for the night. Not everyone gets a bed. Ruth Ann Akins is one of the lucky ones. Inside are a dozen neatly arranged cots draped with clean white sheets and grey wool blankets. An American flag and grand piano sit in the corner. The room has a curtained stage and is likely used for small church performances.

There are hot drinks, tea, cookies and fruit for everyone. After washing up and changing into pajamas and a satin robe Akins pours herself some coffee.

Six men and six women all from Peter’s Place are staying the night at the church. This small intimate shelter is run by three church volunteers. One of them, a soft-spoken six-year-old named Urice who favors cartwheels and dancing enters the room:

AKINS: Do your little dance I see you can just hardly wait. What kind of dance is that?

URICE: Uh just tap.

AKINS: Tap, do you tap?

REPORTER: Akins cannot resist a little tapping herself. She says her mother pushed her to take dance and play the piano. The 68 year old moves slowly and says she would jump if she could. Urice does her best to imitate:

AKINS: You’ll learn as you go along.

URICE: Ok.

REPORTER: The church is peaceful and the seniors fall asleep quickly. The only lights come from small reading lamps. This church shelter is only open on weekends which means it will almost certainly close if the city’s new rules go through…. DHS wants all non-profit shelters to be open at least five days week and serve full dinners, a requirement many of the churches and synagogues won’t be able to meet.

The Director of Partnership for the Homeless which oversees church shelters accuses the city of trying to fix what isn’t broken.But the city counters that the current system is flawed – because there aren’t enough church beds and hundreds of seniors end up sleeping in chairs at the centers. DHS officials want to close the centers around seven pm so that doesn’t happen. The agency plans to add more beds but advocates argue not enough. Hess says there will be other options:

HESS: We’re committing $9 million out of our stimulus money to add to housing for people moving off the streets.

REPORTER: Ruthann Akins wants more than just a bed for the night. In the foyer of the church, outside the room where 11 other people are sleeping, the reality of her situation sets in:

AKINS: And if I don’t get a house soon, my health is breaking emotionally, physically in every way I’m just not going to be able to make it.

REPORTER: The tears subside quickly, And the attractive 68 year old lights up a cigarette and gets ready for bed. For WNYC, I’m Cindy Rodriguez.