The Coalition for Carroll Gardens continues to fight the plan to convert the apartment building at 165 West 9th Street into a homeless shelter. According to a press release, there are only a few days left before the Department of Homeless Services will push through its proposal to establish the shelter for 170 single men in the 10-unit building and “hundreds of Carroll Gardens residents are appealing to New York City Comptroller John Liu to closely scrutinize this contract.” For the DHS to enter into contract with Aguila, the landlord for this proposed shelter, the DHS needs a sign off from the comptroller. And according to the coalition, “The New York City Comptroller has already uncovered unsafe and unsanitary shelters owned and/or run by Alan Lapes and Aguila Inc.” The residents successfully had a temporary restraining order issued for the building, although the DHS later denied the restraining order went through.

The Daily News reports that six other homeless shelters have opened in the borough in the last two years over significant community opposition in part to accommodate a spike in homelessness which is up 17 percent over last year. A squeeze in available public housing and the end of a $200 million rent assistance program have contributed to the problem according to officials. The proposal for the Carroll Gardens shelter is being reviewed in the courts and the next hearing is scheduled for January 25, 2013.

Six Homeless Shelters Open in Brooklyn in the Last Two Years [NY Daily News]
Fresh Intrigue Over Carroll Gardens Homeless Shelter [Brownstoner] GMAP
Breaking: Court Blocks Carroll Gardens Homeless Shelter [Brownstoner]
Controversial Carroll Gardens Homeless Shelter Opens [Brownstoner]
Pols, Angry Residents Confront Homeless Shelter Execs [Brownstoner]
Photo by Pardon Me For Asking


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. me too- this is my nabe and i want to help the humans. i hope everyone trying to block this has the unique experience of being homeless. then they can recall that mankind WAS THEIR business. you can have a jetted tub, but you can’t wash the muck off your machievellian psyche.

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