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men's shelter? — Brooklynian

men's shelter?

brooklynleather
brooklynleather
edited November -1 in Prospect Heights

Subject: men's shelter?

So I think at Atlantic and Franklin or somewhere around there there is an amazing gigantic castle slash prison looking building someone informed me was a men's shelter. This may now be out of the neighborhood, but what is the deal with that place?

Comments

  • mixergirl
    mixergirl
    The shelter you are talking about is on Bedford and Atlantic. It is all male shelter. I used to work at a different homeless shelter in Queens and the men who I knew who went to the Bedford-Atlantic shelter said it was one of the scariest places they have ever been. Here is a link where you can read more: http://www.gothamgazette.com/commentary/115.elsawy.shtml
  • paraderest
    paraderest
    That place is a breeding ground of filth, disease and crime. As much as the area has improved over the last few years, we're still stuck with that shelter. The building was originally an armory and the city spent millions converting it into the cesspool it is today.
  • mixergirl
    mixergirl
    That place is a breeding ground of filth, disease and crime. As much as the area has improved over the last few years, we're still stuck with that shelter. The building was originally an armory and the city spent millions converting it into the cesspool it is today.
    Oh, you don't like having that shelter in your neighborhood? How do you think the men that are forced to "live" there feel? Sorry if your property value has gone down as a result of having a homeless shelter near where you so comfortably live.
  • alafairnadia
    alafairnadia
    mixergirl wrote:
    That place is a breeding ground of filth, disease and crime. As much as the area has improved over the last few years, we're still stuck with that shelter. The building was originally an armory and the city spent millions converting it into the cesspool it is today.
    Oh, you don't like having that shelter in your neighborhood? How do you think the men that are forced to "live" there feel? Sorry if your property value has gone down as a result of having a homeless shelter near where you so comfortably live.
    seriously.

    further, a lot of people who live there are trying to turn their lives around. the guy delivering flowers to you or busing your table next time you're out to dinner could very well be a resident there. if you feel strongly that the conditions need to change, contact the mayor's office and find out what you can do to help.
  • mixergirl
    mixergirl
    seriously.

    further, a lot of people who live there are trying to turn their lives around. the guy delivering flowers to you or busing your table next time you're out to dinner could very well be a resident there. if you feel strongly that the conditions need to change, contact the mayor's office and find out what you can do to help.
    AMEN!
  • brooklynleather
    brooklynleather
    mixergirl wrote: The shelter you are talking about is on Bedford and Atlantic. It is all male shelter. I used to work at a different homeless shelter in Queens and the men who I knew who went to the Bedford-Atlantic shelter said it was one of the scariest places they have ever been. Here is a link where you can read more: http://www.gothamgazette.com/commentary/115.elsawy.shtml
    Thanks that was very informative
  • bigguy
    bigguy
    I think it could be both a "breeding ground of filth, disease and crime" and a place where there are "a lot of people who live there are trying to turn their lives around" at the same time.

    I worked in a shelter for a while and saw three different groups. There were the ones who were never ever going to change who were just going to die on the streets once their body gave out. Lots of filth and disease. The second group spent lots of time going back and forth - on the streets for a while, in an apt with a few people for a while. They could go either way, or just stay in that pattern forever. The last group had just been knocked down temporarily and would be able to turn things around before long.
  • withachaser
    withachaser
    unfortunately, until our city/society is willing to invest in appropriate services for these folks, this problem will remain. the majority of the people in the shelters have mental health, substance abuse, and medical health needs. these needs are rarely addressed (in my experience) in a way effective enough to stabilize the individuals enough to allow them to secure permanent housing and maintain it. on-site mental health, substance abuse, and concrete service advocacy may be extraordinarily helpful, but these services have not been adequately funded nor developed and they are not well enough structured to meet the needs. since the virtual closing of public long-term mental illness hospitalization without viable alternatives, many people who would have otherwised lived in "institutions" now live on the streets and in the shelters.

    it is a totally deplorable condition for such people and becomes one for anyone who shares the environs. i wish this issue would gain the public attention it deserves. only time anyone seems to talk about it is when some horrible crime is committed. :(
  • paraderest
    paraderest
    mixergirl wrote:
    That place is a breeding ground of filth, disease and crime. As much as the area has improved over the last few years, we're still stuck with that shelter. The building was originally an armory and the city spent millions converting it into the cesspool it is today.
    Oh, you don't like having that shelter in your neighborhood? How do you think the men that are forced to "live" there feel? Sorry if your property value has gone down as a result of having a homeless shelter near where you so comfortably live.
    Nobody is "forced" to live there. I don't remember ever seeing somebody put a gun to a homeless man's head and force him into the shelter. They are alcoholics, crack-heads, heroin addicts, methadone users, robbers, burglars. They are not delivering flowers. For the most part they don't work at all. Why work when you can panhandle on the corner of Atlantic and Bedford all day?
  • alafairnadia
    alafairnadia
    ParadeRest wrote: [quote=mixergirl]
    That place is a breeding ground of filth, disease and crime. As much as the area has improved over the last few years, we're still stuck with that shelter. The building was originally an armory and the city spent millions converting it into the cesspool it is today.
    Oh, you don't like having that shelter in your neighborhood? How do you think the men that are forced to "live" there feel? Sorry if your property value has gone down as a result of having a homeless shelter near where you so comfortably live.
    Nobody is "forced" to live there. I don't remember ever seeing somebody put a gun to a homeless man's head and force him into the shelter. They are alcoholics, crack-heads, heroin addicts, methadone users, robbers, burglars. They are not delivering flowers. For the most part they don't work at all. Why work when you can panhandle on the corner of Atlantic and Bedford all day?

    How about you fuck off?

    I know at least one man who lives in that shelter who delivers flowers. yes, he is also an alcoholic and a crack addict. he is trying to turn his life around. you have a problem with that? the nazis will welcome you with open arms. have fun.
  • paraderest
    paraderest
    alafairnadia wrote: [quote=ParadeRest][quote=mixergirl]
    That place is a breeding ground of filth, disease and crime. As much as the area has improved over the last few years, we're still stuck with that shelter. The building was originally an armory and the city spent millions converting it into the cesspool it is today.
    Oh, you don't like having that shelter in your neighborhood? How do you think the men that are forced to "live" there feel? Sorry if your property value has gone down as a result of having a homeless shelter near where you so comfortably live.
    Nobody is "forced" to live there. I don't remember ever seeing somebody put a gun to a homeless man's head and force him into the shelter. They are alcoholics, crack-heads, heroin addicts, methadone users, robbers, burglars. They are not delivering flowers. For the most part they don't work at all. Why work when you can panhandle on the corner of Atlantic and Bedford all day?

    How about you fuck off?



    What an intelligent statement.
  • heidikins
    heidikins
    I live a block from that shelter, and why yes I agree that society has a responsibility to help its these people, that responibility should be shared equally don't you think? The Bedford shelter is approx. 500 beds, and down the same block on Pacific there's another home for either drug/alcohol residents, maybe 80 beds? CCM has a number of treatment centers in the area. And finally just a quick search through the sex offenders registry for 11216 area code and you'll see that there are numerous sex offenders who live in the Bedford and other nearby shelters. That ties in with complaints from the local precint commander who hates the fact the Bedford shelter basically acts as a defacto drop off center for anyone coming out of the NY prison center.

    All of that is going on in our neighborhood and district, and there are whole districts in Manhattan and wealthier neighborhoods (no surprise) that have zero facilities for society's downtrodden. NYC has an actual law in place that is supposed to distribute such services equally throughout every city district, but basically wealthier politically connected districts get off scot free.

    So between safety issues, fairness issues and yes even property value issues, you can see why some people are concerned about the large number of such facilities in our neighborhood.

    Crown Heights and Prospect Heights are great neighborhoods, with a vibrant mix of people and classes and architecture that make them jewels of Brooklyn, but we also have our problems and issues to deal with, and shouldn't be burdened with a disproportionate share of the city's problems as well.
  • alafairnadia
    alafairnadia
    I agree with you - I do think facilities to help folks get back on their feet should be more equally distributed. if you can convince mayor bloomberg to let a shelter move in near his townhouse, well, that'd be a real accomplishment. as it stands, the facilities are here, so I think complaining about them being here is not really helpful. right now I'm doing what I can through my own personal connections to help some folks out. if you don't have that option available to you, maybe you should contact the city and see what you can do. if people in those shleters think that ppl in the community actually care whether or not they succeed or fail, they may feel more like they're in their journey with support, rather than alone.

    and they're trapped in the same cycle of poverty many people in our neighborhoods are trapped in. if they want to join society on even footing with the rest of us, the shelters encourage them to save up lots of money, get jobs that pay above the minimum wage, apply to "reputable" SROs, etc. the savings alone can take them 6+ months to build up to levels that will work in their favor. during that time, the shelter is their home, which is pretty bleak if you ask me.
  • homeowner
    homeowner
    ParadeRest wrote: They are alcoholics, crack-heads, heroin addicts, methadone users, robbers, burglars. They are not delivering flowers. For the most part they don't work at all. Why work when you can panhandle on the corner of Atlantic and Bedford all day?
    Its important for folks to keep in mind that a lot of the people that are homeless in NY today are suffering from some form of mental illness. Some of those addicts are people who attempt to self-medicate rather than deal with depression, schizophrenia, etc. They are not working because they are incapable of working and without some serious mental health intervention they will never work. While I don't advocate going back to the days of Willowbrook, there is definitely a need for a system to take the those folks that Big Guy identified as "the ones that were never going to change" and give them more structure and get them out of the fringe of society.
  • withachaser
    withachaser
    these last two posts sum it up (for me). it's a lot easier to blame the individuals than to open oneself to understanding how we've failed, shamefully, as a society in even marginally addressing these probs. far too depressing to think we would abandon so many psychiatrically ill people with substance abuse problems and no resources and then condemn them for living the way that they do.
  • doctorj
    doctorj
    alafairnadia wrote: apply to "reputable" SROs, etc.
    Disambiguation please...

    Standing room only
    Self-regulatory organization
    Single-room occupancy
    State Revenue Office
    School Resource Officer
    Special Research Opportunity
    Scotish Recorder Orchestra
    etc.
  • alafairnadia
    alafairnadia
    doctorj wrote: [quote=alafairnadia]apply to "reputable" SROs, etc.
    Disambiguation please...

    Standing room only
    Self-regulatory organization
    Single-room occupancy
    State Revenue Office
    School Resource Officer
    Special Research Opportunity
    Scotish Recorder Orchestra
    etc.

    there are, apparently, reputable and not reputable SROs. who knew? the more reputable are run like old time boarding houses - you apply to the person who runs them/lives there - sometimes the basement apartment tenant/owner - and if they approve you, think you'll stay on your feet, not do drugs/drink alcohol on premises, etc. then you have a "nice" room where your stuff might not get stolen. the not so reputable variety can range from vaguely busted (best padlock your door) to downright dangerous (crackhouse). these are considered a preliminary step on the way to having your own studio or 1BR apartment.
  • shishkab
    shishkab
    hey, at least it's not this place....

    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/26/nyregion/26adult.html


    what a nightmare.
  • alafairnadia
    alafairnadia
    shishkab wrote: hey, at least it's not this place....

    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/26/nyregion/26adult.html


    what a nightmare.
    oh gosh. what an awful story. reading stuff like that reminds me how lucky I am. those poor people.
  • brooklynlover
    brooklynlover
    This shelter has been around before the hipsters moved into Prospect Heights. The shelter was there when most of you hipsters were in diapers and your parents looked down on that area of Brooklyn. No one else but the poor and homeless wanted to live in Prospect Heights. You don't like the shelter, move back to where you came from.
  • homeowner
    homeowner
    Atlantic and Bedford was Bed-Stuy when I was in diapers...
  • dailyheights
    dailyheights
    BrooKlyNLoVeR wrote: This shelter has been around before the hipsters moved into Prospect Heights. The shelter was there when most of you hipsters were in diapers and your parents looked down on that area of Brooklyn. No one else but the poor and homeless wanted to live in Prospect Heights. You don't like the shelter, move back to where you came from.
    Ladies and Gentlemen of Prospect Heights:

    YOU'VE BEEN GENTRICONFRONTED!!

    :D/ :D/ :D/

    Congratulations to BrooKlyNLoVeR, our GENTRICONFRONTER OF THE MONTH for September!

    =D> =D> =D>

    Thanks for playing Gentriconfrontation(TM)! We'll see you next time on Brooklynian.com.
  • brooklynlover
    brooklynlover

    Subject: What do I win?

    Do I win one of those cool hipster trucker hats or maybe a tall cup of latte from Starbucks?
  • dailyheights
    dailyheights
    ooh... great ideas for the October prize.
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