City Reneging on Homeless Intake Center Promise?
It’s looking like the city may be backing out of a promise to spread the burden of caring for the city’s homeless population by opening a Manhattan-based intake center to complement the one it’s dumping on Crown Heights. Here’s what DHS Commissioner Robert Hess said last year on the topic: We’ve received considerable feedback regarding…
It’s looking like the city may be backing out of a promise to spread the burden of caring for the city’s homeless population by opening a Manhattan-based intake center to complement the one it’s dumping on Crown Heights. Here’s what DHS Commissioner Robert Hess said last year on the topic:
We’ve received considerable feedback regarding our plans to move men’s intake from its current location at 30th Street in Manhattan to the Bedford Atlantic Armory in Brooklyn, when the current site closes. And based on that input, we have developed a new plan that will allow us to have in place two intake sites – one site in Manhattan, and a second site in Brooklyn at the Bed-Atlantic Armory. We will ensure that there is a new intake site in Manhattan by the time DHS exits 30th Street facility.
The only problem is that the city’s 2010 budget does not reflect any plans for a new Manhattan center, suggesting that the Bedford Armory will the single point of entry into the shelter system for the male homeless population in the five boroughs. In addition to being an unfair burden on the community, it also neglects the reality that the majority of homeless men are in Manhattan. To protest this, Council Members Letitia James and Bill De Blasio along with a number of other elected officials and community groups are holding a rally on the steps of City Hall on Sunday at 3 p.m. Meanwhile, some homeless folks are shacking up at a recently developed luxury condo building in the neighborhood. Not too shabby.
Update on the Bedford Armory Homeless Saga [Brownstoner]
Shelter Woes Spread From Crown Heights to Bed Stuy [Brownstoner]
Homeless Intake Center Plan Provokes Broad Opposition [Brownstoner]
Pols Gather to Pan Crown Heights Homeless Plan [Brownstoner]
Crown Heights Rally: Don’t Dump On Us! [Brownstoner]
Oh fuck me!!!! Man read this story!!!!
NYC Turns Luxury Units Into Shelters For Homeless
http://wcbstv.com/local/nyc.homeless.luxury.2.1030856.html
The condos couldn’t attract buyers in the current housing market. Now they’re filling a need for some of the city’s “unprecedented” number of homeless families, according to a report in The Daily News.
The apartments in Crown Heights were supposed to sell for $250,000 to $350,000. The amenities include granite countertops, terraces, marble bathrooms and walk-in closets.
Developer Avi Shriki says he had to come up with a Plan B “when the market went south.” He signed a 10-year contract with the Bushwick Economic Development Group to turn the building into a shelter.
Oh that where the get the money to buy 10 million dollar homes in Midwood!!!!
Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me!
The city is paying about $2,700 a month for each apartment. The figure also covers social services, including job counseling.
The Department of Homeless Services provides temporary emergency shelter to homeless individuals in a safe environment. There are a variety of ways for the homeless in New York City to receive services. Go to the DHS’ website for more. DHS.
ROTFLMMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Game over retards! Going to post this shit all over!!!!
The What (See….)
Someday this war is gonna end…
Team Bullshit where are you???!!!!!
benson- you are completely wrong. first- the condo is housing homeless families, you know, people with children. Normally families do not live on the streets as a lifestyle Living in the condo building gives them a leg up. Some of these people even have jobs or used to and have now hit financial hard times. Ergo also taxpayers. Maybe you think you have some moral or social superiority here, does it take a marble sink to prove it?
The intake shelter is for single men- not families, and many of them with needs and wants at odds with the community which already is saturated with shelters. Certainly far more than in your neighborhood. And not to mention the huge issue of how much more difficult it will make getting help for the homeless in Manhattan if the intake is here. If you want to take on MM in regards to this issue, address it by all the facts, not snipe at her with faux offended sensibilities and fake points.
I agree with bxgrl that the consequence of this will be that many homeless simply will stay on the streets, rather than coming from Manhattan to CH. Thus, the only part of Manhattan that will benefit is the area immediately around the current intake center. Other parts of Manhattan will likely see an increase in the number of rough sleepers.
The administration must somehow be trying to deter the homeless from using the system by this move. I do not believe it is just naivety. But I also can’t fathom why they think the move would be beneficial.
Faithful;
You asked a sincere question, which deserves a reply. I was being somewhat facetious in my post, but there was a point to it.
I take exception to Montrose’s post about the new condo being used as a homeless shelter. She is ready to dismiss the complaints of the neighbors(of this condo/now homeless shelter) and the taxpayers (such as I) as the usual “howls” of the cold-hearted. Well, isn’t is just great to be hoist on your own petard when it comes to this intake center? Easy to point fingers at others when the issue don’t concern your own back yard, isn’t it?
“For the record, I’m not even sure where East New York Ave is, although I suspect it’s on the ENY/CH border, ”
Morris please tell me your joking!
The What
Someday this war is gonna ned..
Its an example of how Bloomberg has repeatedly promoted Manhattan to the detriment of the outer boroughs. The homeless are an affront to him and his plans so let’s put them somewhere where we can’t see them and we don’t have to have our tony friends ‘distressed.” And because Crown Heights until recently didn’t have a strong enough voice (at least by Bloomberg’s lights), Bloomberg thinks he can run roughshod over us. Not any more- whatever happens, Crown Heights is standing up for itself.
Does anyone seriously think the homeless men in Manhattan will trek all the way out here? The city will have to set some sort of plan in place- sure to be expensive- to round them up and ship ’em ot to Bedford because most of them will have neither the resources nor the will to make this trip. For most of them Brooklyn is unknown, and unfamiliar. Even homeless people have carved out tiny niches for themselves where they tend to stay on the streets.
Many homeless people are those with mental health problems- and many of them are veterans. They can barely cope- how the hell are they going to cope with getting out here? And then cope with getting out to whatever shelter they are appointed to?
“For the record, I’m not even sure where East New York Ave is, although I suspect it’s on the ENY/CH border, not a place I would think expensive condos would be likely to sell, anyway.”
That’s where it is MM, on the CH/ENY border, just south of Lincoln Terrace Park.
Montrose, great point. I JUST realized that this is the supposed to be the main intake center, for the whole city. Oh my God it’s unbelievable. I could not imagine a more poorly planned idea – it shows no planning really.
I am reprinting my comments from the links below on the condos.
I also expect the usual howling here about the homeless getting swanky free apartments. Somehow, the horror and uncertainty of being homeless, especially for a family, is barely mitigated by this occurence. There is no guarantee of permanence, especially from an agency not known for great successes. The people still have a shaky future, trying to now find good jobs, schools for kids, and a way out of being under the thumb of city agencies, and on their own again. Not to mention whatever horrors and circumstances put them here in the first place. Hardly “fair”, or “lucky” for them.
For the record, I’m not even sure where East New York Ave is, although I suspect it’s on the ENY/CH border, not a place I would think expensive condos would be likely to sell, anyway. $350K is a lot of money in a community with an average income of about $38K/year. I’m sure the developer would rather have the homeless, as filtered through DHS. More money, guaranteed by the city, not the work of the usual landlord/tenant squabbles that would arise with regular renters. In the past, this has turned into a horror story for the homeless, and a cash cow for some unscrupulous landlords. Anyone remember that hotel that used to be downtown, where the Mark Morris Dance Center is? Let’s hope that’s not repeated, albeit with marble sinks and fancy appliances.
Now I’m outta here until the afternoon. Hope to join this discussion later.