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June 5, 2009

Condo-Turned-Shelter Sparks Homeless Frenzy

homeless-condo-0609.jpgYesterday's news that a new building in Crown Heights had turned shelter rather than condo sent ripples through the homeless community yesterday, with a wave of hopefuls making the pilgrimage to the East New York Avenue building yesterday. "It would be a dream for me to move in here," said Jasmine Lopez, 21, who traveled from East Harlem with her 6-month-old daughter in hopes of securing one of the 67 apartments. Not everyone is as excited by the news: The Daily News reported this morning that some neighbors have started a petition to block the deal, fearing it will hurt local property values.




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:14 AM | Comments (27)
Categories: Condos, Crown Heights

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Yesterday I said this was on the Crown Heights - ENY border. It's actually on the CH-Brownsville border. My mistake.

Posted by: East New York at June 5, 2009 10:19 AM

Where was all the Assheads and Retards yesterday???? I wanted to have a conversation about this issue, LMMFAO! I love when everything supports the retards but can't find 'em on issues like this one.

Coming to a theater near you..

The What (It's over)

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: Return of The What at June 5, 2009 10:32 AM

I said the same thing yesterday...there is no way this is CH. CH ends at Utica and Empire BLVD.

Posted by: A CrownHeightsLady at June 5, 2009 10:35 AM

"My mistake"

Yeah, I thought about that, ENY. Thanks for clearing that up. You're still dead wrong about Brooklyn hotels though. They're gonna be hurting.

Back to the topic, that developer obviously has someone on the inside. $2,700/mo for 2BR/2BA on that border (let alone in Crown Heights proper)??? That gets you a duplex in Clinton Hill! I respect his gangsta though.

***Bid half off peak comps***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at June 5, 2009 10:47 AM

the quote from the 21 year old girl with baby breaks my heart and if that building is just sitting vacant and can house people who need a nice home who will work and pay a small rent - why not?

Posted by: gemini10 at June 5, 2009 10:54 AM

Agree with that, gemini10.

Posted by: bxgrl at June 5, 2009 10:58 AM

What point of view do you take on this, What????

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 5, 2009 11:00 AM

What's Good BHO??!!!!! Hey can you tell me where the Retards have gone??!! On Tuesday the Assheads said "They need data" and now we have "data" I can't find them.

"Daily News reported this morning that some neighbors have started a petition to block the deal, fearing it will hurt local property values."

ROTFLMMFAO!!!!!! What fucking "property value"?????!!!!!!!

I said five months and we are on schedule.

The What (It's over..)

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: Return of The What at June 5, 2009 11:02 AM

"What point of view do you take on this, What????"

You're a Asshole um.. oh you mean this story, sorry Dave. If you have bad economic times with empty Condo developments and people on the street it will be politically incorrect to allow this to happen. The government will subsidize some from of housing (Welfare, Section 8 or Right to work) and Condo will get some form of revenue.

When other Condo developments go under the Bankruptcy Judge or Trustee will liquidate that asset at fire sale prices and the investor will load the boat on subsidize housing.

Dave seriously this is a nightmare for ALL Condo owner across the nation! You have to be shitting brick of you Condo is 60% empty...

The What (It's over)

Someday this war is gonna end..

Posted by: Return of The What at June 5, 2009 11:12 AM

'morning, What (it's a Mozillo morning).

"Hey can you tell me where the Retards have gone??!!"

They're standing right next to you. On Team Bear. Grrrrr...

"What fucking 'property value'?????!!!!!!!"

You know what? That's a GOOD question. Didn't strike me. All I know is that developer got bailed out.

***Bid half off peak comps***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at June 5, 2009 11:15 AM

Homeless families are very different from homeless individuals. Most homeless families become so from economic disaster, domestic abuse, or fire, structural damage or some such. Usually, families just need permanent housing, enabling them to concentrate on getting back on their feet, finding jobs, schools, and solutions to problems.

My biggest concern with this kind of program is preventing large scale greed and exploitation from landlords and developers looking to cash in on the city's uncomprehensible eagerness to overpay. As I said yesterday, remember the Granada Hotel, downtown in the 80's? It was one of several hotels recruited to house homeless families that turned into a cesspool of crime, drugs, rats, roaches and squalor. Meanwhile the city was happily paying the equivilent of a 4 star hotel for each resident, and the landlords were living large on the profits, and doing nothing to improve conditions. It was shameful, and the fact that the building is no longer standing is a testament to how embarrassing it was for the administration.

I think applicants need to be properly screened, and opportunities made for them to be able to buy their units eventually, creating not clients, but neighbors with a stake in their surroundings. I can see how and why neighbors would be upset, and I can also understand the feeling from hard working people that this is "unfair", although it is also unfair that one's building burns down, or spouse turns abusive, or that someone loses a low paying job, and has no savings or alternatives but homelessness. This could be a fair opportunity for a win-win-win situation, IF DONE RIGHT. Homes for homeless families, a fair price for the developer, and committed new neighbors for a stable working class neighborhood.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at June 5, 2009 11:20 AM

What...I stated a while back that if a development is bust then there should be some type of eminent domain thing whereby it is taken for some sort of housing or stabilised rents.

This guy is getting bailed out. He's probably very smart. he's getting rents well above the neighborhood. This will not happen to all developers.

Whether or not this is a blight on the neighborhood because of the people lkiving there is a different story. My guess is it's better than having something partially built, boarded up and eventually a crack house.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 5, 2009 11:22 AM

I would gladly rent my first floor to the city for an exhorbitant price like this to take in a homeless family. MM is right, they are under different circumstances usually than what we perceive homeless to be in the "individual" cases.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 5, 2009 11:29 AM

"(it's a Mozillo morning)"

Oh yeah and guess what?? He's taking the fall for everything!!!! Ole Tannie Boy is going to OHNOTAGAIN Correctional Facility!

"As I said yesterday, remember the Granada Hotel, downtown in the 80's?"

Great point Morris and guess what?? The '80 are back!

"It was one of several hotels recruited to house homeless families that turned into a cesspool of crime, drugs, rats, roaches and squalor. Meanwhile the city was happily paying the equivilent of a 4 star hotel for each resident, and the landlords were living large on the profits, and doing nothing to improve conditions. It was shameful, and the fact that the building is no longer standing is a testament to how embarrassing it was for the administration."

I wont go into details but I know this issue firsthand and I'm afraid we are going in that direction!

"I think applicants need to be properly screened, and opportunities made for them to be able to buy their units eventually, creating not clients, but neighbors with a stake in their surroundings."

Forget it Morris when the Mutant Asset Bubble collapses quality will not be on the agenda!

"IF DONE RIGHT. Homes for homeless families, a fair price for the developer, and committed new neighbors for a stable working class neighborhood."

Forget it slipping in to darkness...

"What...I stated a while back that if a development is bust then there should be some type of eminent domain thing whereby it is taken for some sort of housing or stabilised rents."

Don't worry Dave it will be called "Walking Away" and the decent into hell will begin!

"Whether or not this is a blight on the neighborhood because of the people lkiving there is a different story. My guess is it's better than having something partially built, boarded up and eventually a crack house."

Let me get 4 homeboy...

The What

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: Return of The What at June 5, 2009 11:31 AM

yes agreed with MM
again, as a society we need to be that one helping hand to lift someone out of their trouble. not give them hand-outs, but give that 1 break that could make a difference in someone's life!
Its a shame though that landlords are the ones benefitting off of the Govt's dollars while they pocket that money instead of making repairs or keeping their bldg clean

Posted by: gemini10 at June 5, 2009 11:32 AM

"I would gladly rent my first floor to the city for an exhorbitant price like this to take in a homeless family."

Be careful on what you wish for. Section 8 is for life and the Landlord cannot evict the Tenets under any circumstances. Plus it's illegal to deny housing to a person who has a Section 8 voucher. Good luck managing the crash..

The What

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: Return of The What at June 5, 2009 11:35 AM

I agree homeless families are different than homeless individuals. As a concerned mother of three, I know that children can not thrive in an environment that's chaotic, temporary and/or dangerous. Therefore, turning this condo into a homeless shelter is still not solving the problem that these families face because it is still a temporary situation.

Bloomberg is trying to convince us to vote for him a third time because he's a successful business man and he can save the city from its current economic woes. As a successful business man, doesn't Bloomberg know that it's more cost effective to find permanent housing for these families at market rate for the area as oppose to housing them in an apartment, way above market, temporarily?

Maybe the developer should be running for Mayor because he seems to have a better business sense than Bloomberg at the moment. He saves his property from foreclosure and will make a huge profit while the market corrects itself -- great deal!!!

Posted by: faithful at June 5, 2009 11:39 AM

"Be careful on what you wish for. Section 8 is for life and the Landlord cannot evict the Tenets under any circumstances. Plus it's illegal to deny housing to a person who has a Section 8 voucher. Good luck managing the crash.."

Didn't that screw up LeFrak City for years?

Posted by: bridges at June 5, 2009 11:39 AM

I just threw that out there, What. I have nice tenants with good jobs that just re-signed. No problem renting in Bed Stuy for what I rented for over a year ago.

The building down the street with 4 units rented out in about 3 weeks.

Did you hear that cornerbodega?????????

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 5, 2009 11:39 AM

"Didn't that screw up LeFrak City for years?"

Yep but don't feel sorry LeFrak's that's a cash cow!

"I just threw that out there, What. I have nice tenants with good jobs that just re-signed. No problem renting in Bed Stuy for what I rented for over a year ago."

"The building down the street with 4 units rented out in about 3 weeks."

Dave we are in a new dynamic! What worked a month ago is dead in the water now. Let direct your attention to the Bond Markets.

http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/rates/index.html

Look at the curve getting slammed! Higher rates guys, higher rates!

The What (It's over)

Someday this war is gonna end...

Posted by: Return of The What at June 5, 2009 11:50 AM


"You're still dead wrong about Brooklyn hotels though. They're gonna be hurting."

OK, that's cool if that's what you think. As I said yesterday, I'm willing to bet I'll be proven correct. We're just going to have to wait and see what occurs.

Posted by: East New York at June 5, 2009 12:36 PM

i will not begrudge any of this. you know how sometimes life throws you a F'ed up curveball? well sometimes life can throw you something really nice and unexpected. if a homeless family gets a chance to live in a swank apartment, so be it. lucky them! maybe they karmically deserved it. however, careful screening, drug testing, job seeking & going to school, etc should be part of the program. the people up in arms about this are just jealous. and like Meghan from Charm School says, Jealousy is a Disease!

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at June 5, 2009 12:56 PM

nicely put, rob.

Posted by: bxgrl at June 5, 2009 1:19 PM

The $2700/month is what's paid to the nonprofit and includes social services and job placement etc, it's not just for rent. The article says it's unclear how much the developer's getting paid by the nonprofit.

Posted by: woodys at June 5, 2009 1:43 PM

This is my secret hope for the Collection up the street from my apartment. If it's ugliness could do some good maybe it would balance things up.

Posted by: Heather at June 6, 2009 9:59 AM

Yes Morris is right - there is a big difference between families and single men, as per the Atlantic Amory. However - there is still the potential nuisance "drama" (anyone who walks by the women’s shelter on 8th ave in Park Slope knows what I'm talking about.) The city "overpays" regardless of where they house homeless families, so if a developer and the city can make use of what would be an otherwise vacant building - the better. However, the irony of the city supposedly spending millions of dollars to provide housing for the poor (something I'm not against but many of these families are in this position because of poor choices they've made in life) as opposed to buying up or helping these developers finish their half- finished projects in return for turning them into truly affordable housing – for working/middle classes, something a bus driver or teacher with a family can truly afford. For some Crown Heights ends at Utica, others Ralph ave. So take your pick: Rugby, East NY, Brownsville, Wingate, Flatlands. This area may not be the most fashionable but there is a park close by and some well kept row houses. Fringe is relative.

Posted by: Crownlfc at June 7, 2009 6:57 PM

No wonder condo owners were waiting for that 400.00 dollar city home owner rebate check as if they needed to buy milk and bread. So are condo's still worth half a million dollars in Brooklyn?

Posted by: hannible at June 8, 2009 6:10 AM

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