Page 341 - Demo

Locals React To Mayor%u2019s PlanTo Shelter The Homeless In NYCs * i i o . r i _ P i ' l l i uoiaen .jays n e j u u iBY LIZ KOCHUnder a multi-million plan announced byMayor Ed Koch to open shelters in the City%u2019sfive boroughs, Brooklyn would gain four newshelters proposed by the Mayor for locationsin Coney Island, Bushwick, Brownsville andCanarsie.Koch announced the sites earlier thismonth as part of his plan to house the growing homeless population in New York. Fifteenof the shelters will house 100 families eachand five of the shelters are planned to house200 single men or women in dormitory-styleaccommodations. The shelters will be evenlydistributed through the five boroughs.Borough President Howard Golden hasbeen meeting with local community boardmembers, public officials and residents inthe areas that have been targeted by City officials, but as part of the Mayor%u2019s plan, theborough presidents have one month to propose other sites. The Mayor%u2019s plan willultimately be voted upon by the Board ofEstimate.Golden has declined to comment on thesites chosen for Brooklyn, saying discussionsare still in the preliminary stages and thatthe City must still answer a number of questions concerning its homeless policy. At anOctober 9 Board of Estimate meeting,Golden announced that he had asked theCity%u2019s Department of Housing and Preservai - - r \\ _____ i i _____ o * x ___________m u s y u c s u u i i s V S fl D u e stion and the City Planning Commission todevelop in consultation with local communityboards and elected officials, a borough-widestrategy for the disposition of all City-ownedproperty.In the past, Golden has also called for increased community participation in theselection of sites to be used for homelessshelters and had criticized the City%u2019s methodof creating emergency shelters. Most recently, the City took over a property on Fulton St.in East New York that a local manufacturerhad wanted to purchase to expand hisbusiness.%u201cThis at least allows the community tohave a chance to review the plan,%u201d saidDeborah Gardner from the Borough President%u2019s office.The Human Resources Administration(HRA) is predicting that the number ofhomeless families in New York will increaseto more than 6,000 families by 1988 and 11,200individuals. The number currently stands at4,300 families and 8,500 individuals.Proposed borough sites are: Coney Island atW. 22 St. and the Boardwalk; Canarsie withinthe boundaries of the Flatlands IndustrialPark; Bushwick, on a site bounded by Broadway and Bushwick Aves., and Decatur andSchaefer Sts.; and Brownsville, bounded bySaratoga Ave., Sterling Place, East NewYork Ave. and St. John%u2019s Place.City Council Has Devised A Plan Of Its OwnBY ROB TAYLORFollowing the announcement of MayorKoch%u2019s plan for the construction of 20 newhomeless shelters, the City Council laid outits own plan Nov. 24 to develop approximately 5,000 new apartments in the city to housethe increasing number of homeless families.After a six-month study conducted by theCouncil%u2019s Select Committee on the Homeless,Downtown Brooklyn Couneilmember AbeGerges, chairperson of the Select Committee,released a lO&page report detailing six areasfor relieving the homeless crisis.%u201cBefore we did the study,%u201d he said during apress conference announcing the plans,%u201cnobody knew how much it cost to run ashelter or how many people actually lived inthe shelters. For the first time, we have aplan that shows us what is going on.%u201dA major part of the City Council proposalincludes the fifty 100-unit family centers tobe built at an estimated cost of $300 million.According to Gerges, the proposal shouldcost the City very little money because thedevelopment of the apartments would befinanced through bond sales that would bepaid back with the money the City alreadypays to the welfare hotels housing thefamilies.%u201cOur study found that the money paid tothese hotels was outrageous,%u201d he said. %u201cOurproposal would be cheaper.%u201d Gerges saysthat his committee found that the City rentsone and a half rooms in the welfare hotels forabout $58,000 each year for a homeless family. The City%u2019s Human Resources Administration estimates that there are about 4,300homeless families in New York.The City Council plan also calls for anequal distribution of homeless peoplethroughout all five boroughs and suggeststhat each community recommend locationsfor the homeless family centers. He says thatthe centers should be developed in allneighborhoods so that the people are evenlydistributed in neighborhoods where peopleare losing their homes so that they do nothave to be moved to unknown parts of the city.Gerges said he was not sure how manyhomeless people would be assigned to eachneighborhood, but he added that Brooklyn,Manhattan and the Bronx would probablyreceive larger proportions of homeless family centers than Queens or Staten Islandbecause the latter two boroughs have fewerhomeless families. %u201cBasically, if you havepeople living in your area who are homeless,we want to have a neighborhood shelter forthem to move to,%u201d he says. %u201cYou have to dothings in your own area.%u201dGerges estimates that if the City moved onthe proposals they could have the homelessapartments built within three years. %u201cWewant to build 5,000 apartments because weestimate that the number will rise within thenext few years to this amount,%u201d he says. Theapartments will be one or two bedroom units,%u201cjust like any apartment in New York City.%u201d3rd St. Bridge ClosedIt may sound like a broken record, but theclosed 3rd St. Bridge over the Gowanus Canalwhich was to ,e open to traffic any momentover the past few weeks still remains closed.The City%u2019s Department of Transportation(DOT) most recently promised that it wouldbe open the first weekend of November andthe matter is confounding local officials andembarrassing DOT spokespeople who arebaffled by the mixed signals.The bridge, which has suffered numerouscost overruns and construction delays sincethe reconstruction project began, is %u201cbasically finished%u201d say DOT officials, but some %u201clastminute inspections%u201d and %u201cinsignificant%u201drepairs have kept the department from opening it. %u2014 RT.BeT he B e s tiU n d ressed , vW om anIn Tow nv if*A%u2014Lingerie117 Atlantic Ave.(corn. Henry St.)Brooklyn Heights522-0010Coutourier Dressmaking bySuits %u2022 dresses %u2022 formalwear,your design or oursChoose from pattern or photo we will design from musiin tofinish. Also quality alterations.409 Atlantic Avenue (betw. Nevins & Bond Sts.)(718) 624-5899 Open: Mon.-Sat. (10-6) __ ,A ward- Winning Coverage o fBrooklyn %u20195 Booming Arts Scene EveryIn The Phoenix NewspaperIndependence Leads inLowest Cost No PointsMortgages and Co-op LoansADJUSTABLE ANNUALPERIOD PERIOD PERCENTAGE1-1/2% CAP* RATE** RATE*** POINTS1 year 7.50% 10.54% N O P O IN T S2 years 8.00% 10.19% N O P O IN T S3 years 8.75% 10.24% N O P O IN T S4 years 9.25% 10.35% N O P O IN T S5 years 9.50% 10.37% N O P O IN T SSPECIAL Y EAR-END OFFERADJUSTABLE ANNUALPERIOD PERIOD PERCENTAGE1-1/2% CAP* RATE** RATE*** POINTS1 year 6.50% 10.32% 2%u2022For 25-year loans of $500,000 or less. The rate will not change more than l-l 2% up ordown at each adjustment |>eriod.%u2022%u2022T his is a below-market introductory rate for the initial adjustment period Rales subjet t tot hange without prior notice.%u2022%u2022%u2022Annual Percentage Rale based on the current value of the rate index which is subjet t tot hange. There is a lifetime tap of H.75% on all adjustable-rate mortgages. Rates apply toowner-occupied residences only.Low-cost, fixed-rate mortgages also available.O ur way of lending improves your way of living.C all 1-800-732-3434INDEPENDENCESAVINGS BANKIt%u2019s away of living. Since1850.BROOKLYN OFFICES: Atlantic Avenue & Court Street %u2022 18th Avenue & 65th Street18th Avenue & 86th Street %u2022 Newkirk Plaza & Foster Avenue %u2022 MANHATTAN OFFICE:Lexington Avenue & 34th Street %u2022 BRONX OFFICE: 1416 East Avenue, ParkchesterQUEENS OFFICE: Bay Terrace Shopping Center, Bayside %u2022 NASSAU OFFICES:Hillside Avenue. East of Herricks Road. Wiiliston Park %u2022 A&S Shoooina Center.Manhasset %u2022 SUFFOLK OFFICE: Wait Whitman Shopping Center, HuntingtonMember FDIC%u00ae 1986 Independence Savings BankNovember 27,1988, THE PHOENIX, Page 9