Say NO to the Intake Center at the Bedford-Atlantic Armory

I am in no way affiliated, but just saw this and wanted to forward the information in case people were interested. The meeting is tomorrow at 6:30.

From the Crow Hill Community Association (CHCA)

CHCA is opposed to moving NYC's only intake center for single homeless men to the Bedford Atlantic Armory.
We feel it is a bad plan for the homeless and that it will create a dangerous strain on our community.

The latest information we have is not good. The City is already going back on its word. We have been told that the Peter Young Shelter that DHS said would be closed as part of their proposal for the intake center is now applying to return to being a residential shelter and is asking for an increase of its current 150 bed cap.

Please do your best to attend the CB8 Housing Committee meeting to review this request on June 4, 6:30 p.m. at CNR - 727 Classon Avenue bet. Park Place and Prospect Place).

I'm just curious, why is this bad plan for the homeless?

the "Pro-better services to homeless" arguement is that the homeless won't come from throughout the city to an intake center.

the "pro-crown hgts" arguement is that the homeless are going to come from all over the city to this intake center.....

I think that homeless activist have said that this is essentially just warehousing of men in one location. They don't have the types of support services available for clients and the setting is far more dangerous than in smaller shelters. The facility is not equiped to actually determine the needs of the men and take steps to address those needs, nor is it designed to deal with issues like mental illness, medical needs, etc. That armory also has a long history with the homeless of being a dangerous and violent place and adding more men will only make that situation worse.

Look here for more information.

here's info about the present system
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/html/homeless/adultserv.shtml#go

Note ...I think all agree the present system sucks. The disagreement is over whether reducing the present number of sites would improve the quality provided by the sites.

...will it improve quality? unknown.
...will it descrease costs? yup.
...will it piss fewer neighborhoods off? yup.
...will it piss off the neighborhoods where service centers are expanded? yup.

We must also remember that Crown Heights is already saturated with homeless shelters, halfway houses, etc. We are already carrying a lot of the city's burden when it comes to these facilities. It's time that other neighborhoods step up to the plate.

Do a search of the sex offenders residing in Brooklyn You'll be amazed at how many have that armory as an address.

Do a search of the sex offenders residing in Brooklyn You'll be amazed at how many have that armory as an address.

WOW! I just checked it out! Crazy!

You know, when this issue was first raised, I was not too upset, because I really do think that all communities should be prepared to open their borders to social service programs like these. BUT, when I read that Crown Heights already housed 5 times the average number of social service beds in Brooklyn, I was appalled.

Now, seeing all those names on the registry makes it all the more apalling!

Soylent green is people!

Interestingly enough, the city is now giving luxury condos (in Crown Heights) to the homeless: http://www.nostrandpark.com/home/2009/6/4/luxury-condos-for-the-homeless.html

[Edited to fix link]

That link doesn't work. Use the bottom link instead.

Thanks. The link should work now.