Shelter planned at 1173 Bergen (near NY Ave)

Community Board No. 8 Invites You To An Informational Meeting on the proposed Homeless Shelter at 1173 Bergen Street for 100 single men aged 50+ SATURDAY MARCH 4, 2017 at 11AM at 1173 BERGEN STREET (BET. BROOKLYN & NEW YORK AVENUES) Representatives from NYC Department of Homeless Services, NYC Department of Social Services, Core Services, NYPD, and local Elected Officials will be present to answer your questions. Please come out and let your voice be heard! For additional information, please call 718-467-5574.

Well, there go the property values.

Those intimately familiar with the block know that it has served men with mental illness and addiction since at least 2013.

http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/38821/new-york-christian-center-academy-has-bamboozled-us

This may well be but there's a shelter on Atlantic between Eastern Pkwy and Georgia Ave that I pass by on my way home. Let's even forget about the loitering but the amount of garbage that the place generates is amazing plus the fact that the Salvation Army soup truck is there a couple of nights a week around dinner time and that leads to a decent sized crowd which also blocks the sidewalk. So, I wish the people in the area good luck.

I've been following all of the community displeasure with the various men's shelters in Greenpoint. 100+ men is a lot, especially for a residential community like this. 20-30, sure. 100? Whole other ball game. Plus, we already have a giant men's shelter at Atlantic and Bedford. 

I am sure the homeowners on Bergen will be none too pleased to hear of this plan.

Shelters rarely have community support.

...that is why the city is only required to hold meetings notifying the community that they are coming, as opposed to trying to get their permission and support.

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20170228/crown-heights/homeless-shelter-crown-heights-bergen-street

Well, it looks like this shelter is coming. Though that building is horrid. I guess it will be a very "sheltery" style shelter. Lack of windows makes me doubt that each individual will get their own room (or have to share with only one other person). 

The Callahan decision does not require individuals get their own room.

http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/our-programs/advocacy/legal-victories/the-callahan-legacy-callahan-v-carey-and-the-legal-right-to-shelter/

Perhaps interesting to hold the meeting on a Saturday morning when many of the area's "long-time" residents observe Sabbath.

The meetings are similar to those held by the MTA, re: upcoming fare hikes.

Only a few members of the public believe their complaints will make a difference.

Unsurprisingly, supporters are rare.

Apparently the 1173 Bergen Street site is the first of de Blasio's 90 new shelters planned.

 http://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/nyc-braces-90-new-homeless-shelters-will-your-neighborhood-be-next

By announcing 90 shelters at once, DeBlasio seems to be trying to effectively insulate himself from claims that he is over saturating some neighborhoods.

...and therefore some races, classes, hues, election districts, community boards, etc.

For what it's worth, the homeless shelter is only for employed individuals so I'm hoping it won't bring a ton of loiterers around the area, especially by Brower Park.

It is tough to keep residents employed.

However, the residents must be over 50 years old to get in.

...it is very tough to become younger than 50 once you are older than 50.

The saying "there are old ones, and there are bold ones. ...but there are few old, bold ones" usually holds true.

50+ employed men might not be that bad. Though frankly, I'd rather it be permanent, affordable housing for older, low-income people. Like an assisted/supportive living home for older, low-income people. Then they can really be integrated into the community, rather than shuffled in and out by DHS. 

Supportive Housing is being built as we type.

...but it won't be enough, and we live in the present.

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-directs-new-york-state-division-budget-sign-2-billion-homelessness-and-housing

Diana Richardson seems to think that Saturday's Meeting is important, and that DHS is having the meeting because must listen to community concerns.

http://files.constantcontact.com/76cbb4ad401/752af113-3a13-4406-a4bc-592262e18e9a.pdf?ver=1488543556000


Um, they are having the meeting because they are required to have the meeting.

They know very few people want a shelter in this location. ...people only want shelters in OTHER locations.

Attendees at the meeting held the view expected:

http://abc7ny.com/news/brooklyn-residents-fight-back-against-20th-homeless-shelter/1782380/

Meanwhile, Errol Louis has a realistic view:

https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/837720928582787072?embed_source=clientlib&player_id=5&rpc_init=1

and, here's the info put out by DHS:  https://www.scribd.com/document/340916917/1173-Bergen-St-Fact-Sheet-Dept-of-Homeless-Services

Positions now posted on the site of the agency that will run the shelter:

http://www.coresvcs.org/careers/#s=1

Good fine, whynot

In case the screamers missed the first one, or need another:

Word has it that the mayor announced tonight that this shelter will have men 62 years old and over, as opposed to 50 and over.

Lots of buzz about residents' worries about the shelters coming into their communities. I'd love to read or hear a story that talks to homeless people, perhaps those who have the potential of moving into these.  

I almost think that the conversation would help the situation. As it stands, the government appears to be acting in an almost authoritarian way by forcing these shelters into communities for for faceless, nameless people. They almost seem like pawns pushed back and forth between different interests. Why not actually try to integrate these homeless by having them engage in dialogue with their soon-to-be community? Perhaps they'll even recognize the community's hesitation and, in turn, people may realize some of the value in giving people - not "homeless people" - space in their neighborhood. 

I would be interested in learning the mean length of nights residents spend in a men's shelter. Has it grown to over 500 days?

In exchange for increasing the age of the people served, the shelter's operators have stated they will no longer pursue the very difficult to achieve employment goals.

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20170310/crown-heights/operator-age-limit-crown-heights-mens-shelter-uproar

so basically it will be an old age home for older, low-income men?

Some of whom have not lived in the community for some time.

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2015/06/29/boom/

http://www.doccs.ny.gov/Research/Reports/2014/UnderCustody_Report_2014.pdf

As one might expect, Tuesday's mtg has been cancelled due to snow.


CB8 writes:
POSTPONED!!!!! 1173 BERGEN STREET SHELTER MEETING. MORE DETAILS TO COME AS THEY ARRIVE.

new date:  

Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy house 10x the shelter beds the mayor’s Park Slope does.  The current number of homeless beds in three communities for comparison sake, according to NY1:

• Crown Heights: 1,779
• Bed Stuy: 1,527
• Park Slope:  331 (DeBlasio owns property here)

DeBlasio's plans to open the 1st shelter is within a four block radius (also known as a "cluster") already hosting the following:

• The largest shelter for single men in the city, houses over 350 beds (the Bedford-Atlantic Armory Men's Shelter), which according to the NYT, "has been notorious for crime, loitering, and panhandling."
• Another recently opened shelter on Nostrand and Atlantic (city snuck this one in!)
  
• 11 halfway-house and mental health facilities (that we know of, operated by the Institute for Community Living)

With all the above info, the residents of Crown heights are clearly not unsympathetic and not anti-homeless. 

Can we take "kick me" sign off our backs now, DeBlasio?