CB 8 Housing Comm. Votes Unanimously to Oppose New Shelter

capt. planet

At a packed meeting of the Housing Committee last night, Community Board 8 voted unanimously to oppose the re-opening of the closed Peter Young Homeless Shelter. This vote must now be retified by the full Board at its regular June meeting next Thursday, at 7 PM at the Center for Nursing and Rehab, on Classson bet. Park Place and Prospect Place.
For years the Peter Young agency had operated a large shelter directly opposite the Bedford Atlantic Armory. It was closed by the City several months ago as part of a deal offered to the community: we close Peter Young, we put a track and field facility in the Armory and you let us make the Armory the only Intake Center for homeless men in the city.
As we all now know, the community resoundingly opposed the deal offered us by the city, so now it's pay back time: no track and field, Peter Young re-opens and we get the intake center anyways.
Thank you mayor Bloomberg, and all of the council members who voted to keep you in office for another 4 years.
What about turning Peter Young into affordable permanent housing? Why are people homeless anyways? Because they can't affordable to pay the absurdly high rents in New York City? Isn't the solution creating more affordable housing, not forcing families to live in degrading, crime-ridden and drug-infested shelters?
Mayor Bloomberg, Controller Thompson, show us you have a vision of a better, more humane city. Otherwise I'm staying home for the next election. Anyone care to join me?