Crown Heights Group Still Doesn't Want Homeless Center
Crown Heights residents continue to fight the mayor’s plan to move the intake center for homeless men from Manhattan to the Bedford-Atlantic Armory. Crown Heights Revitalization Movement (CHRM, pronounced “charm”) organizer Rachel Pratt said in an email about their planned June 1 rally, “At this point, we believe that we will be joined by Borough…
Crown Heights residents continue to fight the mayor’s plan to move the intake center for homeless men from Manhattan to the Bedford-Atlantic Armory. Crown Heights Revitalization Movement (CHRM, pronounced “charm”) organizer Rachel Pratt said in an email about their planned June 1 rally, “At this point, we believe that we will be joined by Borough President Marty Markowitz, City Council Member Letitia James, NYS Assemblymen Karim Camara and Hakeem Jeffries, and NYS Senator Eric Adams.” The massive armory at Bedford and Atlantic Avenue is already a temporary shelter that sleeps 350 homeless single men, and is known as among the worst in the system. In private, local residents told us they’re already overwhelmed by the crowds of homeless men who regularly congregate on the sidewalks surrounding the shelter, especially in the early mornings when the building is evacuated for cleaning. “I’m not exactly sending my kids out to play on the street,” said one. The community district has six times the average residential social services beds at 116 per 100 acres, the highest in the borough.
CHRM’s website also voices concerns about increased street homelessness (60 percent of the city’s homeless live in Manhattan, not exactly a quick jaunt to Crown Heights), more bus traffic and worse conditions for the homeless. A source close to the mayor’s office told us the goal is to make the intake center more difficult to reach so fewer men would turn to the shelter system, in hopes that they would instead stay with friends or family. The source said the city’s most at-risk homeless population tends to avoid shelters, and the mayor would rather use the money spent on shelters for permanent housing. We were told each bed cost $35,000 annually. But Patrick Markee of the Coalition for the Homeless told us the annual cost of shelter for a single homeless adult is $18,000, and $33,000 for a family. “Last year when the City closed a large shelter for homeless men NONE of the savings was re-directed to permanent housing for homeless individuals.”
Markowitz Eyeing Citywide Run, But Still Brooklyn-centric [Daily News]
Crown Heights Doesn’t Want Homeless Intake Center [Brownstoner]
Mayor’s Intake Plan Misguided [Coalition for the Homeless]
What is this mentality that’s being perpetuated as Manhattan vs. Brooklyn regarding homelessness? When did the boundaries of homelessness get defined? As far as I know,each of us contributes tax dollars that fund the expenditures the City spends on the homeless. Temporary housing is not a solution. There are proven ways that work to assist the homeless in housing. And, even if one doesn’t have an altruistic side and feels that there is an obligation to help others, one should realize that homelessness is everyone’s issue because the thousands of dollars spent in shelter or for hospital visits of a homeless person are being paid by…guess who? Yes, all of you who reside in Brooklyn. Some of the banter of late on this blog is ridiculous.
“Helping those who cannot help themselves is supposed to be an expression of who we are as a civilization. I plan on being at the rally, not just because it’s my community, but because this policy is not just, fair or in any way, correct.”
Yea, right. If the intake shelter were being moved to Canarsie or Woodhaven, Queens, I am 100% confident that you would not attend this rally.
Thanks Rachel! You rule.
“less” = “lesson”
Serves me right for trying to type and scarf a cannoli at the same time.
“Sabotage is just a cowardly way of trying to take away that right.”
Indeed it is. You’ve taught us that less very well, “Sarah”.
Having NO intake center in Manhattan but having one in Brooklyn, that doesn’t make the people of Manhattan the ones who are the biggest NIMBY’s of all, 2:12??
How about those who own and live near the current intake center. How many of those people are happy to see it go and have a condo there instead? PLENTY.
“A source close to the mayor’s office told us the goal is to make the intake center more difficult to reach so fewer men would turn to the shelter system, in hopes that they would instead stay with friends or family.”
Typical of fiscal conservatives like Bloomie. Penny wise pound foolish. Save a few pennies by doing this but lose MILLIONS in lost tax revenues because they turn back the clock on improvements of this borough, and families start moving to the suburbs again instead of Brooklyn.
As for who in Brooklyn who should care about this – contractors and suppliers should be in a panic, and making sure the improvement in these areas of Brooklyn continue. Why? They make their money from renovating old houses that had fallen into disrepair. Park Slope is nice but of course most the houses have been sold to new owners by the old generation and fully renovated by now. Where are you contractors going to turn next to get hired to gut-renovate an entire house, or provide the materials for it, but in the *fringe* areas as peole migrate into those areas?
Oh and by the way that’s more lost revenues for the city, the fact that there would be much less houses being renovated. Fewer jobs, fewer materials being sold by suppliers, less retail sales at home improvement stores and furniture stores. On and on and on. If there are fewer people buying in Brooklyn and instead leaving the city, it would mean a slowdown or departure of amenities even in the more established neighborhoods. The whole thing is idiotic.
“Helping those who cannot help themselves is supposed to be an expression of who we are as a civilization. I plan on being at the rally, not just because it’s my community, but because this policy is not just, fair or in any way, correct.”
No, you are attending the rally because your home is not far from the shelter and you are terrified what the presence of more homeless people will do to your property values. You talk a good game about helping the less fortunate, but your actions speak otherwise.
Besides, a mere rally will not stop this proposed change, because there is simply no better existing place to move the intake center. If you know of one, kindly enlighten us.
In the end, this is about one group of human beings looking down on another group of human beings and trying to keep them out of their “territory”, even as they claim to care about homelessness. It’s no different from past civil rights problems, only this is about class rather than race.
Sarah, I’m all for free speech but think you would be more than justified to delete the misinformation that the Montrose Morris wannabe keeps posting.