Residents upset with 200 bed homeless shelter "Our kids deserve better"

[The Straight Story]

Morrisania residents are crying, "No more in Community Board 4!" as plans for a new, 200-bed homeless shelter are underway across the street from a junior high school complex.

The three-story, block-long, graffiti-covered brick building at 3339 Park Ave. is being renovated and may open as early as next month, pending approval by the Department of Homeless Services.

In an area already swamped by as many as 34 shelters and social service centers - and with a whopping unemployment rate of 18% - residents are up in arms over taxpayer dollars possibly funding the 32,000 square-foot facility.

"It's already a hardship community," said Community Board 4 Chairman, the Rev. Wenzell Jackson, pastor of Mount Hermon Baptist Church in Highbridge.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2011/02/27/2011-02-27_weve_had_enough_nabe_fumes_at_new_shelter.html#ixzz1FAncdz2j

[Horse with no Name]

1. Ok. Let me wrap my head around something here

>>>snip
"It's already a hardship community," said Community Board 4 Chairman, the Rev. Wenzell Jackson, pastor of Mount Hermon Baptist Church in Highbridge.

>>>snip
"They're using our community as a dumping ground," said the Rev. James Jackson, of Mount Lebanon Baptist Church that is next to the junior high schools. "The money isn't going to the community where it's needed, it's going right into the developer's pockets."

>>>>snip
The three-story, block-long, graffiti-covered brick building at 3339 Park Ave. is being renovated


It appears that an empty, graffiti covered building is MORE danger to students than one that is renovated and providing shelter for those who don't have it.

And my words to the "Reverends" that oppose this?

Proverbs 14:31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

[mrcheerful]

2. Not to mention that by living in the area the people protesting are more or likely to end up

homeless themselves and will need to take their families to such a shelter. Can you say Tea Bag thinking at it's best?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. The concern is that the area is becoming a dumping ground for the homeless from other areas

which will trigger a spiral from which it can not recover. There is a history of treating poor and minority areas that way. Don't know enough to say if this is a case of that or not.

[Horse with no Name]

7. I still can't see how an empty dilapidated warehouse

in an area of HIGH homelessness and unemployment is a better alternative?

Squatters, drug dealers, etc. tend to congregate to these kinds of places.

The reality that needs to seep into the public consciousness is that our economy sucks, there are no jobs, and there SHOULD be more and more of these types of facilities opening their doors because I believe that there is probably a pretty good chance that some of those kids that go to that school might end up having families in them.

[dkf]

3. Well whoever is going to run the place will need to keep all residents out of trouble with the kids.

That is the reality.

[The Straight Story]

4. I was not aware the homeless were a problem to kids (nt)

[dkf]

6. You often hear about mental illness and drug use in the homeless population.

That is different from the simply down on their luck I would say.

[Horse with no Name]

8. How do you differentiate?

Have you ever been to a homeless shelter?

Do you know that they have rules for the residents?

Do you think denying shelter is a Christian value?

Do you think if someone had cancer, they should be denied a place in the shelter? You do know that mental illness and drug addiction are diseases too.

[dkf]

12. Actually being strict with the rules was exactly what I was thinking of.

No room for slip ups.

[The Straight Story]

11. I also hear of teens beating and killing the homeless, maybe the homeless deserve better

;)

[dkf]

14. They do.

Putting it right next to a school will lead to too much community pressure with the first incident raising a huge ruckus. It seems to be a recipe for problems if you ask me. You would think in an area that depressed there should be opportunities that would be better for both populations.

[krabigirl]

17. I guess kids would be safer with these people on the streets then, lol.

[krabigirl]

16. Wow..so even homeless shelters must be stopped "for the children"? Puke

[lunatica]

9. This is a truly tragic story

Just dump the homeless in a poor community and then they'll probably forget about all of them. If the community is already depressed where do the homeless find jobs? Where do they find housing if they do find jobs? How is this supposed to help the community or the homeless?

[Horse with no Name]

10. The truth is

that that describes a majority of communities around the country. Give shelter where you can and work on the rest later.

[lunatica]

13. It's tragic and it's a problem out of control right now

Everyone suffers so people like the Koch Brothers can build their empires. Just take the offensive dirty homeless out of their precious sight and everyone can ignore the problem.

[Turbineguy]

15. Caution:

You may encounter Christians beyond this point.

[Dappleganger]

18. If they don't want I have no doubt we could take that off their hands.

34 shelters??? They are damn lucky to have those! 200 beds? We could only DREAM of that many! Ours has 33 beds for a 2-county area. :(

[WolverineDG]

19. Ever wonder why there are no homeless shelters or transitional housing

in middle class or upper class neighborhoods? Perhaps that's what this protest is really all about.

dg