Crown Heights Rally: Don't Dump On Us!
. It seemed like every politician in Brooklyn came to Crown Heights yesterday afternoon for a press conference/rally to decry the Department of Homeless Services’ plan to move a Manhattan homeless intake center to the armory at Bedford and Atlantic. The city currently operates a 350-bed homeless shelter at the Crown Heights armory. One of…
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It seemed like every politician in Brooklyn came to Crown Heights yesterday afternoon for a press conference/rally to decry the Department of Homeless Services’ plan to move a Manhattan homeless intake center to the armory at Bedford and Atlantic. The city currently operates a 350-bed homeless shelter at the Crown Heights armory. One of the most forceful speakers at the event, which drew a crowd of about 75, was Borough President Marty Markowitz. As per the video above (apologies for the poor quality), Markowitz said moving the intake facility to Crown Heights would be bad for both Brooklyn and Manhattan. “Manhattan residents agree with us because their fear is that if they move the intake center to here, more of those that need services will chose not to come to Brooklyn and will stay on the streets of Manhattan,” said the borough president. Other politicians who spoke included state senators Eric Adams and Velmanette Montgomery and Councilmembers Bill de Blasio and Tish James. Most of them stressed the fact that Crown Heights already shoulders its fair share of social services. “It’s not a question of not in my backyard at all, media. We have done our fair share,” said Councilmember James. “The need is in Manhattan. They have continued to build up Manhattan, and have accidents and dump on Brooklyn. And we have come here today to say, ‘No more dumping on Brooklyn.'” James also talked about how she has been trying to get the city to build a recreation center, a la the one just completed in the Park Slope armory, for many years. Others mentioned that the city has been operating the current shelter at the Crown Heights armory in a shameful fashion. “We have had this ongoing battle to try to clean up this facility for many years, and we have still not gotten the city to pay attention,” said State Senator Montgomery. “So now, rather than working with us to help bring the necessary support to the men in this facility…they are now going to dump another number of homeless men in this place that is not fit for the men who live here already.” And Councilmember de Blasio spoke derisively about top-down city governance. “Wouldn’t it have been nice if the City of New York had come to you and said, ‘What should we do here? How can we improve the community?’ But that’s never the way the City of New York starts the discussion,” said de Blasio. “It never goes to people who’ve been the backbone of the community and says, ‘What’s the right thing to do?'”
News Columnist: ‘Shameful’ Crown Heights Homeless Plan [Brownstoner]
Crown Heights Doesn’t Want Homeless Intake Center [Brownstoner]
Thanks for all of the support and good feedback.
Choosing a time that would work for everyone for the rally was very difficult (NYS reps in Albany all week, Friday a bad press day because few read Saturday papers, Sunday good for press but have to make it early enough for them to meet deadlines…). Alas…CHRM is now working on several large initiaves:
1) Letter writing campaign (if you haven’t signed a letter yet, go to http://www.revitalizecrownheights.org, download, customize, sign, and return to CHRM)
2) Mobilizing through community organizations including schools, churches, daycare centers, block associations, senior centers, other (if you have experience, contacts, or the willingness to participte, send CHRM an email at http://www.crownheightsrm@gmail.com)
3) A second rally, in a few weeks (we will definately need help organizing!).
To volunteer or make a donation to help defray some of the costs of all of this, visit http://www.revitalizecrownheights.org
Thank you!
RPratt
Sunday early afternoon is difficult and there were a number of competing activities–the various house tours, the flea and of course, Church. It is important to remember when organizing these rallies that Bed Stuy and Crown Heights have a community that faithfully attends Church–I know the majority of people on my block were unable to attend for that reason. That said-Rachel’s estimate makes sense,I was there for the entire rally and we def. had at least 150 there. The thing is that we need to keep it up and continue to promote awareness as well as keep bloomberg’s mailbox full. Rachel–Please let us know what else we can do!
Did anyone go to the CB3 meeting yesterday? I know it was going to be a big topic of conversation but got stuck at work and was unable to attend.
my guess is that the count of 200 was gotten by tallying the names on the sign in sheet.
don’t know how long you stayed but people kept coming and signing letters until about 3;
news 12 showed up later as did Assemblyman Camara.
200? You must have pulled a Patti Hagan and counted the homeless people that you are working so hard to exclude from the neighborhood.
As a member of the Crown Heights Revitalization Movement (CHRM), the organizers of yesterday’s rally, there was a final count of people yesterday just under 200. It was enough to bring all elected officials in Central Brooklyn, and will, if all of us can keep up the momentum, be enough to stop this. This is just the beginning, and we have the City’s attention.
Go to the CHRM website–www.revitalizecrownheights.org–to download letters to the Mayor and to find out other ways you can join this fight.
Thanks.
rpratt
Sharp eye, 12:30 – I hadn’t noticed that. I agree that this is in very poor taste, but illustrates the hysteria common to NIMBYs.
Side Note: crane anology (see photo) = poor taste
I don’t understand. I thought this rally was scheduled for this Tuesday…tomorrow. What happened? I meant to go to this.
Brownstoner:
I haven’t lived in Brooklyn in a long time, so I forgot what its accent sounds like.
Marty Markowitz brought it all back to me.
Wow!
Keep it real, Marty! (And before you go, be sure to leave a taped history. Voices like yours are disappearing fast.)
As for MM, bxgl, faithful and everyone else at the rally, congratulations on pulling such a great group together. The still at the top of the post, showing the pair of “church ladies” and the “hipster” in black t-shirt, warms the heart.
Something new is happening in Crown Heights, and it’s great to see.
Nostalgic on Park Avenue