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]
Montrose Morris (is your account not working?). This is another email I got from Rachel Pratt this afternoon… definately June 1:
Hi Everyone –
A few updates:
Rally will be held on Sunday June 1st on Bedford Avenue in front of the Armory at 12:30pm. Please be there and bring your friends, neighbors, and banners. Spread the word!
Letter writing campaign to Mayor Bloomberg is underway. To participate, go to http://www.revitalizecrownheights.org and follow the instructions. You can write your own letter or customize ours. All letters will be collected by CHRM, and the mailing address is on the site.
We are planning a Neighborhood Walk, a great idea of Senator Eric Adams, for the day before the Rally, Saturday May 31st. Time and meeting location to be announced. CHRM wants a large group of residents and our elected officials to walk through the neighborhood distributing fliers and talking to residents about the City’s plan for the Bedford-Atlantic Armory. Stay tuned for more information about this event.
I attended a meeting of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Corporation last night. Council Member Letitia James and NYS Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries were featured speakers. Both were vocal in their opposition to the City’s plan. I also met earlier that day with NYS Senator Eric Adams who is a strong opponent as well, as is NYS Assmeblyman Karim Camara who met with another member of CHRM this morning. Be sure to tell them you appreciate their stance on this important issue.
Thanks.
Rachel
I’m not sure what’s sadder: to immitate MM or to try to derail the rally. Anyway, I’m pretty sure it’s still on for June 1, as faithful said and as the CHRM website still indicates…
http://www.revitalizecrownheights.org/
This is a horrible idea. It is unfair to both the homeless men and the residents of Crown Heights/Bed-Stuy. This situation will adversely affect all of the downtown Brooklyn neighborhoods whose residents BTW should show up at this meeting as well. Do you think that the men will just loiter in the immediate vicinity of the armory? They will no doubt travel back to their old haunts in Manhattan and discover new places in route. Srvice Brooklyn’s homeless populationin Brooklyn and Manhattan’s in Manhattan.
12:27, I assure you I am not faking anything, but I appreciate your watching my back!
Montrose Morris
I just received an email from Rachel Pratt from CHRM and the rally is on for Sunday, June 1. Give it up troll!!! Stop trying to sabotage the rally. The troll probably works for Bloomberg!
Since Montrose Morris has never claimed to have anything to do with the organization of the rally, I hardly think any posts supposedly by him/her regarding its scheduling would have any truth to them. Ignore them, it’s just the MM hating troll at work again.
“When you show me where I said that it would not affect other neighborhoods, then I’ll answer your question.”
I was posing the question to you because you’re so adamant that this is a good proposal for “Crown Heights” and I would like to know the reason(s) why you’re in support of it. Now that you’ve divulged the fact that you live in Crown Heights, it baffles me even more.
“How do think that most of these gentlemen will get to the Armory? Limo? Cab? No…our good ole subway system.”
Yes…I ride the subway everyday and am aware of the subway’s population. The point I was trying to make is that unfortunately many of these homeless men will have to make their way through various subway lines to get to the Armory…while many of these men are homeless because they lost their job, home, etc., many are mentally disabled, drug and sexual abusers and it will only lead to more crime…This is coming from a concerned mother whose 13 year old will be using the subway at very earlier hours alone to attend high school in September.
For your information, I do live in Crown Heights. So before you go and make assumptions without fully thinking them through, try actually reading the posts you’re replying to.
I do apologize for assuming that you had no interest in CH, but since you do live here, what’s your motivation for supporting Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal?
I was at a community forum last night in Prospect Heights where this issue was discussed with Tish James and Hakeem Jeffries. Not only is the Bedford-Atlantic Armory one of the most dangerous, poorly runs shelters in the city, it’s also right across the street from another 150+ bed shelter creating an already huge burden on the local community. And, to rub salt into the wound, Bloomberg wants the current Bellevue intake center bid out as a luxury hotel! There are some things about Mayor Mike that I like, but his total prioritizing of Manhattan over the other boros is elitist b.s.
Thanks, Faithful. Turns out I responded to your morning post in the “Echoes” thread re. Crown Heights riots. Gee, will the neighborhood ever get its due?
Hello, Montrose. We haven’t communicated about CH in a while, but it looks like there’ll be plenty to discuss in the coming weeks.
NOP