REMINDER: Rally Against The Assessment Center at 400 McGuinness

April 28, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

Although I have posted this some time ago, I have recently received a number of inquiries about the proposed assessment center at 400 McGuinness Boulevard (as proposed this time around by the Bowery Residents Committee). I also met a resident of Clay Street earlier this week who had no idea whatsoever such a proposal was in the works. Therefore, I feel compelled to remind everyone there will be a rally to protest this assessment center this upcoming Sunday, May 1st.

Rally to Stop the Proposed Homeless Shelter at 400 McGuinness Boulevard
May 1, 2011 (May Day!) at 2:30 p.m.
400 McGuinness Boulevard (at Clay Street)
Brooklyn, New York 11222

Miss Heather

LAST GASP: Mark Your Calendars, North ‘Pointers

April 15, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

This afternoon yours truly spent the afternoon communicating with a number of public servants and getting caught up. Once I thought my day was over I remembered one thing I forgot: getting a time and date from Steve Levin’s office regarding the rally he promised regarding the homeless assessment center at 400 McGuinness Boulevard. I am pleased to say his Community Liaison, Rami Metal, delivered! You can download a print quality version of the above missive by clicking here. Otherwise, you can download a print quality version of their joint Polish/Spanish flier by clicking here.

Rally to Stop the Proposed Homeless Shelter at 400 McGuinness Boulevard
May 1, 2011 (May Day!) at 2:30 p.m.
400 McGuinness Boulevard (at Clay Street)
Brooklyn, New York 11222

Miss Heather

P.S.: Something I failed to note in this post is that this shelter has passed the “Fair Share” review by our fair city. Apparently being host to the largest sewage treatment plant on the Eastern seaboard; a lack of follow-through on the manifold number of promises made by our fair city during the 2005 re-zone (*ahem* affordable housing) and a rather problematic SRO and 3/4 house one block away does not preclude our community from bearing its “fair share”. Go figure.

P.S. #2: Those of you who are so inclined might want to check out the New York State Sexual Offender Registry for 11222. What you will find is interesting— and very disturbing. Tip: look at 1109 Manhattan Avenue and 66 Clay Street.

New York Shitty Day Starter: Live From Community Board 1

I attended Tuesday’s Community Board 1 Meeting. Sadly, my five node unix cluster— or at least the part which allows them to “talk to each” other— died. So I have had to rely on my laptop. Uploading is a chore, but reading is no problem. Case in point:

You can read my colleague’s take on this, his special moment, here. The following is mine:

After Steve Levin voiced his opposition to the homeless assessment center at 400 McGuinness and stated there would be a rally there next week (I will post the details when I get them) the remaining members of Community Board 1 voted against the homeless shelter at 400 McGuinness Boulevard. With two abstentions.

Miss Heather

P.S.: A lot happened at this meeting I will share some highlights as they upload!

New York Shitty Day Ender: Live From The Homeless Shelter Town Hall Meeting

April 5, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

Don’t let the above image fool you: it was a rather lively evening at tonight’s Town Hall Meeting. Follows is the footage I shot along with synopses, annotations and observations. WARNING/CAVEAT/TEASER: Those of you who have a fondness for yelling will not be disappointed.

INTRODUCTION

Part II: Mr. Rosenblatt Gives a Rundown of BRC & The Proposal

  • The proposal (once again) is for a 200 bed assessment center.
  • This facility will be (once again) for single, homeless men.

Part III: Q & A, Continued

  • Questions are raised about the owner of 400 McGuinness Boulevard, Shimmie Horn and this facility serving drug addicts and ex-convicts.
  • Mr. Rosenblatt states that 2/3 – 70% of the people who patronize BRC’s facility have substance and/or mental health issues.
  • If approved, BRC will be leasing 400 McGuinness Boulevard from Mr. Horn.
  • A resident of the three quarter house at 66 Clay Street speaks. (LISTEN TO THIS— Ed. Note)

Part IV: Q & A, Continued

  • Mr. Rosenblatt rebuts JR’s accusations, offers to show anyone in the audience their facilities and tenders his contact information.
  • A member of the audience inquires as to the impart BRC’s shelters have on the surrounding community and voices concerns about 400 McGuinness’s remote location.
  • Mr. Rosenblatt states that the city will be provided transportation and a shuttle van service from the subway will be provided.
  • Mr. Rosenblatt asserts that the communities in which BRC facilities have been placed see improvement and states the Bowery as one such example (Interesting fact: BRC and Mr. Rosenblatt are responsible for the closure of CBGB’s) . This elicits peals of cynical laughter from the audience.
  • A Clay Street resident questions what kind of investment residents of this facility will have in the community and asks about security measures.

Part V: Q & A, Continued

  • Mr. Rosenblatt continues his answer for the previous clip. A question about whether or not entrance to this facility is elective or mandated is raised by a Clay Street resident.
  • Mr. Rosenblatt states that admission is purely voluntary and goes on to explain how the system works: first one goes to an intake center, from there he/she is sent to an assessment center.
  • Mr. Rosenblatt states that residents are entitled to leave whenever they want.
  • Christine Holowacz voices concerns about 400 McGuinness Boulevard’s proximity to public park space (including the Newtown Creek Nature Walk) and brings up the issue of “fair share”. The matter of illegal immigrants is also raised.

Part VI: Q & A, Continued: A Clay Street Resident Speaks

  • Concerns about the proximity of the Greenpoint Hotel, the three quarter house at 66 Clay Street to 400 McGuinness Boulevard is raised.
  • Mr. Rosenblatt states 400 McGuinness will be a “model” program with “model services” for drug treatment. The audience finds this very amusing.
  • A resident named “Mary” voices concerns that our community’s homeless would not be serviced by this shelter.
  • Mr. Rosenblatt states that any Greenpoint homeless interested in their program will not be turned away. He makes mention of wet shelters.

Part VII: Q & A, Continued

  • A member of the audience observes that Mr. Horn paid a rather high $5,000,000 for 400 McGuinness Boulevard and speculates that the Department of Homeless Services advised Mr. Horn that by purchasing this property a RFP for a 200 bed intake center would be approved by them, e,g,; this did not happen in a “vacuum”.
  • A member of the audience begins to speak about Department of Homeless Services.

Part VIII: Q & A, Continued

  • A continuation of the previous speaker. She refutes how transportation will be handled per Mr. Rosenblatt.
  • She brandishes a rather large stack of letters protesting the proposed shelter at 400 McGuinness Boulevard and gives a copy to Mr. Rosenblatt.

And alas, this is when my cameras mercifully ran out of memory. You can view and/or download the letter as mentioned in the above video by clicking here. Follows is a general outline of the conclusion of this meeting along with a few thoughts/observations.

1. The woman speaking in the last video opines/asserts:

  • that shelters tend to be placed “where there is an easy target”.
  • that adequate shelter space is available in New York City. Rather, the issue is that our city’s homeless do not want to go to these shelters.

2. A chorale of women chanting “We don’t want this.” follows.

3. The Representative from the Department of Homeless Services takes the microphone.

  • The question is posed again as to whether or not DHS “brokered” some kind of arrangement with the current owner of 400 McGuinness Boulevard. A satisfactory answer is not given.
  • The issue of alternative sites is raised and the DHS Representative notes that there are eight shelters “in the pipeline”. When asked as to where they are located he gave stated: Bedford Stuyvesant, the South Bronx and Crown Heights. Here’s my question: what do these communities have in common?

4. Ol’ Bo takes the microphone and embarks upon a stream of consciousness screed. He calls the BRC and the Department of Homeless Services representatives (and I quote) “carpetbaggers”.

5. People begin to leave in in significant numbers.

6. Councilman Steve Levin speaks.

  • He opens up by stating he wished he had not had come be back at such a forum.
  • He states that his position has not changed and he is against this shelter.
  • He also notes that Governor Cuomo recently cut housing subsidies which will result in more people matriculating through the shelter system.
  • When asked by an audience member, he states he will speak any any rallies to protest this shelter.

7. The issue of this 200 bed assessment center being located in a M1-2 zone is brought up.

  • The DHS representative states that homeless shelters are allowable under this zoning.
  • He goes on to state that he thinks 400 McGuinness is (and I quote) “a good location” and that not all shelters should be located in residential neighborhoods.

New York Shitty Analysis/food for thought:

  • 400 McGuinness is an excellent location for a homeless shelter provided one is seeking a remote location without easy access to mass transit to warehouse— quite literally— two hundred people. Methinks the word I am looking for here is “containment”.
  • While 400 McGuinness may be zoned as manufacturing classifying the area as a whole as non-residential is a load of shit. This property it located literally across the street from residences.
  • I find the rather fortuitous manner in which a prior RFP was pulled, the property was sold and a new RFP for more or less the same thing to be very, very suspicious. The fact that both Mr. Rosenblatt and the Representative from the Department of Homeless Services dodged the issue does not help matters.
  • If Help USA withdrew its proposal for a 200 bed assessment center due to inadequate funding ($4,000,000) what makes the Bowery Residents Committee think they can do more or less the same thing?
  • A couple of rather interesting articles regarding Mr. Rosenblatt and BRC have been brought to my attention. Apparently they are attempting to place a 238 bed homeless shelter in Chelsea and the locals are none too happy about it.

UPDATE, April 7, 2011: This matter has come to the attention of our friends in Chelsea.

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Bring People

From Oak Street.

Miss Heather

New York Shitty Day Ender: Better Late Than Never

From Manhattan Avenue.

Miss Heather

REMINDER: Homeless Shelter Town Hall Meeting Next Week

March 31, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

It has come to my attention recently that a number of folks hereabouts are unaware:

1. That another RFP for a 200 bed assessment center for 400 McGuinness Boulevard, this time at the behest of Bowery Residents Committee, has been filed.

2. There is a Town Hall meeting next week regarding the aforementioned proposal. A representative of BRC, Muzzy Rosenblatt, is scheduled to be present so as to answer questions.

Mark your calendars:

Homeless Town Hall Meeting 2.0
April 5, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.
Polish National Home
261 Driggs Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222

Miss Heather

Mark Your Calendars: Homeless Town Hall Meeting 2.0

March 15, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

Another RFP for a 200 bed intake center, another Town Hall Meeting. Get your questions for Mr. Rosenblatt ready, Greenpointers!

Homeless Town Hall Meeting 2.0
April 5, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.
Polish National Home
261 Driggs Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222

Miss Heather

New York Shitty Day Ender: Deja Vu

March 10, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

Here we go again, folks. I for one found the rather vague term “homeless individuals” intriguing. I’m guessing these chaps learned from 400 McGuinness 1.0 that the phrase “homeless single men” is off-putting to some people hereabouts.

On the other hand, at least they have shown some willingness to work with our local Community Board. Speaking for myself, I want to see for myself exactly what this organization is proposing. Especially in light of the fact a representative of the Department of Homeless services stated on February 8, 2011 (the latest Town Hall Meeting) that no plans for a homeless shelter/intake center in Greenpoint were in the works—- yet this property was sold shortly thereafter and yet another RFP has been filed for basically the same thing. What gives? By all appearances it would seem the Department of Homeless Services is intent on putting an intake center there.

Most importantly of all: what’s in it for Greenpoint and our homeless population?

Miss Heather

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