More Space for Homeless at Sumner Armory?
According to the Daily News, some Bedford-Stuyvesant residents are once again protesting an expansion of the homeless shelter at the Sumner Armory on Marcus Garvey Boulevard and Putnam. The move would result in the shelter having 400 beds. While the city says it has brought in contractors to subdivide the shelter space so it can…
According to the Daily News, some Bedford-Stuyvesant residents are once again protesting an expansion of the homeless shelter at the Sumner Armory on Marcus Garvey Boulevard and Putnam. The move would result in the shelter having 400 beds. While the city says it has brought in contractors to subdivide the shelter space so it can hold double its current capacity, 200, “for temporary emergency housing, particularly during the winter months,” angered residents see the move as placing a disproportionate burden on the neighborhood to house the homeless. One person interviewed by the Daily News had the following to say: “They need to create new shelters in different areas. Why bring more into our community?” Meanwhile, a homeless advocate says the expansion is illegal since there are “lawsuits and local ordinances that limit the number of beds in a shelter to 200.”
Planned Expansion of Bedford-Stuyvesant Homeless Shelter Angers Local Residents [Daily News] GMAP
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And rob, it will NOT keep the rent down.
areas with lots of homeless shelters always have lower rents and property values. sorry, but it’s true, how could one even deny such a fact? part of me would LOVE if the TD bank next to my building was converted to a homeless shelter. the rent WOULD go down!
*rob*
Once again, the city looks around at central Brooklyn communities that have long been shafted for positive resources and funding, and more than blessed with taking care of those nobody wants around them in their communities. Bed Stuy and Crown Heights both understand that shelters are necessary, and that buildings like armories work for the way shelters are now run. We object to the expansions and the use of these armories as intake and overflow centers when there are plenty of places in communities that are not bursting at the seams already with all kinds of care, treatment and shelter facilities. It’s more than time to spread it all around.
On top of that, we never seem to get any quid pro quo. Funding for community rec centers, or any other kind of community facilities or amenities that would help keep kids and adults from ending up in shelters or treatment centers themselves, always seems to hang there tantalizingly, and then amazingly disappear in a puff of budgetary smoke when it’s time to collect.
For crying out loud, this armory, like the Bedford Armory is HUGE. There is more than enough space in both to have a well run shelter, as well as a community facility. Well run being the important item the city can’t seem to promise, either. It doesn’t have to be either/or. Stop treating us like we don’t have a stake in the future of our own neighborhoods.
And rob, it will NOT keep the rent down.
This is a great building done by R. Daus in the 1890’s. I am told this place has a pool, bowling alley, track and the offices have Tiffany inside… well maybe in the 1890’s not sure about today.
It sure is funny, Amzi. We’ve been laughing at the joke for generations.
Funny this armory was suppose to have the indoor track years before the Park Slope Amory… But the money went to Park Slope…
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Or put more beds in the Park Slope Armory
chile, please.. that will never happen!
*rob*
Both Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights have more than their fair share of homeless shelters. Stick them in Manhattan where the majority of the homeless actually are. Or put more beds in the Park Slope Armory where the neighborhood got their fancy running track in return for the shelter.
oh snap
*rob*
You can get all that in any Park Slope bodega. If you couldn’t then you wouldn’t be living there.