Update on the Bedford Armory Homeless Saga
When we last checked in with the Bedford Armory, nearby residents were trying to fight efforts by the Department of Homeless Services to move the city’s main intake center from the East 20’s in Manhattan to the historic armory in Crown Heights; more recently the city announced its intention to also increase the number of…
When we last checked in with the Bedford Armory, nearby residents were trying to fight efforts by the Department of Homeless Services to move the city’s main intake center from the East 20’s in Manhattan to the historic armory in Crown Heights; more recently the city announced its intention to also increase the number of homeless beds at the nearby Sumner Avenue Armory from 200 to 1,000. Shortly after last August’s confrontational meeting on the topic between residents and DHS’s George Nashak, a spokesperson for DHS said that the agency would add an additional intake center in Manhattan to lighten the Armory’s load. In hearings later in the year, however, DHS retreated to the position that it was “considering” the Manhattan location. As far as we can figure out, DHS has yet to clarify the situation. In addition, when DHS announced it would be expanding the number of beds at the Bedford-Atlantic Armory, it tried to placate locals by saying it would close down the Peter Young Shelter across the street. Well, they did close Peter Young, but they turned it into a 24-hour detox center, which is always good for the neighborhood quality of life. To protest the treatment the neighborhood is receiving from the city and to announce that a law firm has been retained to fight the city, City Council Members James, Vann and de Blasio along with a number of other elected officials and neighborhood organizations are holding a press conference at City Hall on Sunday at 2 p.m. As we’ve said before, Crown Heights and Bed Stuy already shoulder more than their fair share of these kinds of social services and don’t deserve to be dumped on again.
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]
Amzi, I second that.
Rob, it’s not that the people of CH find the homless “annoying or gross.” It’s simply about a disproportionate amount of these social services being placed there for the simple fact that the City feels they aren’t strong enough to fight it or that other nabes don’t ‘deserve’ it. You are making some strong generalizations here.
If the city really wanted to be play fair they should evenly distribute the homeless throughout all neighborhoods in NYC.. There are plenty of abandon buildings all over NYC in every area.. It would be nice if the UES and Brooklyn Heights got the same number of homeless as Crown Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant. We should not get the lump of NYC homeless population.
Fact Check: The Peter Young facility will be used for day treatment. They go home at night. Home, by the way is the community. More than 98% of the attendees have been and are expected to be from the Crown Heights community as verified by the home address zip codes.
So, no to sex offenders in shelters in residential communities. Yes, to handling our issues on our home turf.
excuse me “r” I do not live in the ghetto. I live in a wonderful community with “all sorts of people” as one of the older timers put it. “r” where do you live ? Maybe you should go on a CHN walking tour. BROWNSTONER , perhaps another CHN Walking Tour could be organised to show people once again the beauty of this neighborhood and the people who live here..
and i’d be just fine with that as well. unlike some people, i don’t find homeless people annoying or gross. (well except for the Crusties… you know them right? those kids with dogs who come here in the spring from california and sit on the streets with big cardboard signs begging for change to get back to california?) they are the worst. and they all come from money lol
*r*
I think it would be just fine next to rob’s building.
“…DHS retreated to the position that it was ‘considering’ the Manhattan location. As far as we can figure out, DHS has yet to clarify the situation.”
“Relocation of Adult Intake Facility from Bellevue Shelter” is on page 11 of the FY2010-2011 Citywide Statement of Needs. The “Proposed Location” is “All boroughs,” but DHS staff have informed me that is an error and the new intake facility is planned for some place in Manhattan.
I am always wary when something is set forth in black and white but I am then told in a less official way that the information is incorrect. Nothing makes me worry more than being told I don’t have to worry.
quote:
Somehow those who are homeless manage to get their coffees just fine….
uh, like michael jackson would say, “that’s ignorant.”
i could be channeling the what here, but just cuz you paid 3/4 of a million dollars for a house in the ghetto doesnt mean it’s not the ghetto anymore. and i hate the term ghetto to begin with, but you have to be realistic. everywhere can’t be high money. there will always have to pockets of areas where people with not a lot of money can live.
and yeah, honestly, you do make one point. if i was homeless myself even i wouldnt choose to live in crown heights. id imagine (dare i say) one of the perks of being homeless is that you can choose your location. i’d fer sure be living it up somewhere swankier. im totally going to hell.
*r*