CB7 Schedules Meeting To Discuss 4th Avenue Homeless Shelters

PARK SLOPE – Brooklyn Community Board 7 (CB7) has scheduled a meeting to discuss the two homeless shelters planned for 4th Avenue in Park Slope.

CB7’s Committee on Homelessness Issues has scheduled the community forum for Tuesday, July 23, from 6:30pm to 8pm, at Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Avenue (between 5th & 6th Avenues). Representatives from NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS), WIN, the Department of Education, and local elected officials will be on hand to answer questions.

CB7 District Manager, Jeremy Laufer, tells Bklyner he anticipates a large turnout for the community meeting. “There’s certainly a lot of interest on this issue,” he said.

Laufer said his office has received lots of feedback regarding the shelters—both for the facilities and against. Announced at a meeting in May, the two shelters will open this fall and will be operated by WIN. 535 4th Avenue (located in Community Board 6) will provide 148 units for homeless families while 555 4th Avenue (in Community Board 7) will provide 105 units for homeless families as well as 26 units of affordable housing.

Petitions have been launched opposing and supporting the two shelters. Opponents argue that WIN and the developers of the two properties, Slate and Adam America, have inflated the city contracts for the project by millions. The contracts show that the city will pay $261 million over nine years to WIN to operate the two shelters.

According to DHS, the annual costs at the shelters would be $17 million at 535 (including $6.3 million for rent) and $13 million at 555 (including $4.6 million for rent). Per-unit monthly rent would be $3,500 and $3,600, respectively. WIN would pay rent to the two developers.

“We support the city’s efforts to house the homeless, but we believe that locating two large buildings for the homeless on two adjacent blocks is not fair to our community,” states the petition by Committee For 4th Avenue. “Please note that our community is open to welcoming a shelter of a reasonable size upon the provision of appropriate information, notice, and an opportunity for our concerns to be heard and addressed.”

Regarding next Tuesday’s meeting on the shelters, Laufer says, “We hope to see all of our neighbors and look forward to a thorough discussion.”

CB7 Community Forum: Fourth Ave Homeless Shelters
Tuesday, July 23, 6:30pm to 8pm
Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Avenue (between 5th & 6th Avenues), Park Slope