« New Public Advocate Assails Bloomberg’s Performance on Homelessness | Main | Annabi arrives at court in Mercedes, tells judge she can't afford lawyer »
January 20, 2010
Fighting a Homeless Shelter Closing
The Local [Fort Greene/Clinton Hill]
by Rachel Senatore
 |
We missed this story, which was posted on Monday.
The Pacific Dean Annex shelter on Dean Street sat empty last weekend. On Friday the shelter’s residents, including about 80 homeless families, had to pack up and clear out.
Like other residences in and near Fort Greene, the building — which is on Dean Street just across Atlantic Avenue in Prospect Heights — is slated for demolition to make room for the Atlantic Yards project, which will include a new arena for the NBA’s Nets. Ultimately, the shelter’s site will likely be home to a new parking lot.
Local residents and politicians gathered Saturday afternoon at Freddy’s Bar — which is also at risk of demolition — to protest the closure.
“Our homeless system is on the brink of collapse,” Councilwoman Letitia James said. “Why would we close the shelter down the block to build a parking lot?”
Maria Walles, a member of Picture the Homeless, said she is now living in a couples’ shelter in Brooklyn, but has stayed in shelters throughout the city. She said moving between shelters is psychologically draining and it hurts to see families forced to relocate.
Ms. Walles, along with many others at the protest on Saturday, was especially disappointed to see this happen so close to Monday’s holiday.
“I wish Martin Luther King was here, because he would not tolerate this,” she said.
NoLandGrab: Daniel Goldstein noted that housing organization ACORN was AWOL from the protests. Wonder why?
Posted by eric at January 20, 2010 11:35 AM