Shelter Woes Spread From Crown Heights to Bed Stuy
It’s hard for a neighborhood to pull itself up when the government keeps pushing it down. On the heels of this summer’s shocker that the Department of Homeless Services was planning to move its main intake center from the east side of Manhattan to the Bedford-Atlantic Armory comes news that the Sumner Avenue Armory (now…
It’s hard for a neighborhood to pull itself up when the government keeps pushing it down. On the heels of this summer’s shocker that the Department of Homeless Services was planning to move its main intake center from the east side of Manhattan to the Bedford-Atlantic Armory comes news that the Sumner Avenue Armory (now on what’s called Marcus Garvey Boulevard) is about to get dumped on as well. As per an email we received yesterday, the shelter, which currently houses 200 men, is scheduled to get more than a thousand new bodies sent its way as a result of the Manhattan dislocation and a reshuffling at Bedford-Atlantic. Sounds like a shaft to us. There’s a meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at the St. Christopher-Ottilie Beacon Center (PS 35) 272 MacDonough (between Lewis and Marcus Garvey). For more information you can also call Ms. Blackshear at 347-325-4635, Ms. Robinson at 718-574-8199 or Ms. Cobbs at 347-683-5047.
Important Town Hall Meeting This Thursday [Bed Stuy Blog]
Homeless Intake Center Plan Provokes Broad Opposition [Brownstoner]
Pols Gather to Pan Crown Heights Homeless Plan [Brownstoner]
March, Rally Held Over Crown Heights Homeless Plan [Brownstoner]
Photo from Bed Stuy Banana
I was unable to attend last night’s meeting. Can someone please tell me what (if any) action items were discussed for combating this?
CORRECTION:
Sorry – I quoted the state’s figures in my math.
The city’s numbers are here:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/downloads/pdf/dailyreport.pdf
As of today’s census numbers, the shelter will be taking 28% of the single adult homeless men in the city (4,922 as of today), not “almost 15%”.
THIS IS ALMOST 1/3 OF THE HOMELESS MEN IN THE CITY GOING TO ONE NEIGHBORHOOD.
An addendum:
Of course, if the state wants to increase the amount of public funds allocated to the surrounding area by 700% through increases in treatment programs, police, education, community organizations, tax incentives for business, they by all means increase our burden by 700%.
I am very much in favor of this “in my back yard” as long as they are willing to also invest more money “in my back yard”.
But, if they’re not willing to reciprocate the additional burden they are asking the community to carry, then why SHOULD we want it?
What they’re talking about here is increasing the number of homeless men in the Sumner Ave shelter to 700% of the current number.
Let me restate that number:
700%
Not only that, but the shelter is currently designated as a “working” shelter, meaning they will only admit men who are employed or seeking employment.
Not so with the new plan.
By the Bureau of Housing and Shelter Services’ own numbers, this would be almost 15% of the total homeless population they are serving – all in a single neighborhood. If you don’t believe me, look at their numbers here:
“…9,800 single adults are housed in facilities approved and monitored by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance”
http://www.otda.state.ny.us/main/bhs/programs.asp
This does not only affect Bed Stuy and Crown Heights, but all of Brooklyn. The facility at Bellvue was surrounded by a healthy economic matrix and an active, powerful political constituency.
The new plan will drop the main intake center into one of the most beaten-down areas of Brooklyn. The economic revival of the past 6-7 years isn’t going to continue if this is carried out. All those property owners in Clinton Hill, Ft. Greene, Prospect Heights and Park Slope will feel like they’re living next door the South Bronx of the 70s too. It’s only a 25 minute walk to any of these neighborhoods.
This neighborhood simply cannot shoulder this large a burden – it has already shouldered too large share of the city’s poor. Just look at a map of NYCHA properties and you will see what I mean.
On top of all this, the plan does not serve the very people it purports to, the homeless. Concentrating poverty in an area with an economy that is only starting to grow does not help anyone, least of all the most impoverished.
A major step towards reducing homelessness would be amending the onerous civil commitment laws in this country. In most states, it is virtually impossible to hospitalize a mentally ill person who does not wish it. Meanwhile, many of the mentally ill homeless, the very people who talk to themselves on the street, abuse drugs and alcohol, defectate on stoops (a brownstoner favorite), etc. are left to fend for themselves without treatment. They often wind up in our shelters, streets, and prisons. It is a systemic ill and will only change when people demand such. Otherwise, communities like Crown Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant are left placing a band aid on a societal problem.
polemicist- did you ask me if I care? I don’t post for you, I post to the thread. You really need to read what you write because you consistently post the same mindless crap over and over. You weren’t describing policy, or improving conditions- you were ranting about people who have much harder lives than you have, and without knowing their circumstances or anything about homeless people or shelters, you simply accused all of them of being freeloaders.
Now if “These kinds of social programs will soon be coming to an end. We simply can’t afford to pay people to do nothing, not when there is so much work to do and the economy is tanking. When new deal programs start up again full force, these guys will be rounded up and put to work. Then, they’ll decide they don’t like NYC anymore and move to someplace with a climate better suited to freeloading and substance abuse.” is your idea of a meaningful discussion on social policies, well, you set the bar very low. I think people like you who care nothing for anyone and would gleefully throw those who are not as “fortunate” as you to the wolves are not evil so much as ethical dunces.
The Town Hall tonight is NOT about not wanting the homeless shelter in our neighborhood – it is already here and has 200 men in it. It is about not wanting an additional 1200 (!) homeless men bused into Bed-Stuy each night. See text below and please come tonight.
Community Alert: Town Hall Mtg Tomorrow OCT. 16th 7-9pmSt. Christopher-Ottilie Beacon Center (the big school on the corner- PS 35) 272 MacDonough (between Lewis and Marcus GarveyAdditional info Ms. Blackshear 347-325-4635; Ms. Robinson 718-574-8199; Ms. Cobbs: 347-683-5047
“Mayor Bloomberg has announced intent to close the Bellevue men’s shelter in Manhattan to build a luxury hotel. The overflow of men (850) will be moved to the Sumner Avenue Armory along with the (350) men from the Atlantic Avenue Shelter. The Sumner Ave Armory has (200) men already assigned to this facility. The astounding number is overwhelming for the BedStuy community. A large number of these men are dangerous felons released from prison. Some are sexual predators, and some have mental illness. Bus loads of homeless men are being bused into the sumner Armory each night. We need each and everyone to come out and unite with an action plan that will support a better resolution. Let your voice and presence be heard on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008 7-9pm.”
Montrose:
You give your pet dog free food and cage. If you think that’s good for men, well – we have a fundamental disagreement. I look at the homeless of city, and I really can’t use the word “compassion” to describe present policy.
Anyway, I don’t even know what this gathering is about – but while you find my comments unpleasant, I do at least find yours well written and interesting. I’m sure you’re a pleasure to talk to about less controversial topics.
Bxgrl:
I really don’t think you’ve figured this out yet, but your personal attacks really mean nothing to me. Your posts are simply the same drivel day after day. You consistently make the error that anyone who disagrees with you regarding human nature or public policy is evil. You like to throw your demeaning adjectives towards your adversaries, but it is you who lack the adult sensibilities necessary to dispassionately and objectively analyze facts and present public policy solutions that can actually work.
MM – as always, you are right on!
Please understand, though, posters, that with many people in foreclosure, the homeless population of those who thought it could ‘never happen’ to them, will doubtless only increase. I’ve met homeless with Master’s Degrees. There’s no monolith here.