Join Your Neighbors in Opposing the Plan
Contact us at
crownheightsrm@gmail.com
Write Letters to the Mayor
CHRM needs you to join our letter writing campaign. CHRM is collecting letters from concerned citizens and is mailing them in bulk to over 10 elected officials.
To Participate:
1. Download and print the letter. Of course you are welcome to modify it.
2. Sign the letter and print your name and address.
3. Click here to email CHRM at crownheightsrm@gmail.com to request CHRM's mailing address.
Please print letters for your neighbors, email us to arrange for us to get them.
Volunteer
CHRM needs everyone—no matter how much or how little time you can spend. You can attend a Planning Meeting, spearhead an outreach effort, talk to your neighbors, design posters and fliers, or make telephone calls. To volunteer, contact CHRM and tell us what you would like to do.
Donate
CHRM is an all-volunteer effort. We need funding for postage, printing, and other costs. Every every dollar is sincerely appreciated. To make a financial donation, click here.
Spread the word and mobilize our community!
Do you belong to a church, a mearchants group, a block association, or any other organization in the neighborhood? Are you willing to knock on doors, join the letter-writing campaign, and speak to groups? Contact CHRM, and we will provide you with letters, fliers, and speakers.
» Video • •» Photo Gallery 1• •» Photo Gallery 2
On a beautiful Sunday, the first day of June, a crowd of two hundred Central Brooklyn residents, members of community-based organizations, and elected officials gathered near the steps of the Bedford-Atlantic Armory Shelter to protest the City’s plan to relocate the intake center for all homeless men. Speakers at Sunday’s rally, in unanimous opposition to the City’s plan, included Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz; NYS Senators Velmanentte Montgomery and Eric Adams; NYS Assemblymen Hakeem Jeffries and Karim Camara; NY City Council Members Letitia James, Albert Vann, and Bill deBlasio; Democratic District Leader Jesse Hamilton; Nizjoni Granville, Chair of the Housing Committee for Community Board 8; Patrick Markee, Senior Policy Analyst for the Coalition for the Homeless; Nathan Ashford, a resident of the Bedford-Atlantic Shelter; New York Daily News Columnist Errol Louis; and Takhara Robinson of the Central Brooklyn Anti-Violence Coalition.
Common themes of the rally’s speakers were fair share, better services for homeless men, and respect for Central Brooklyn. "It's not a question of not in my backyard at all, media. We have done our fair share," said Councilmember Letitia James. NYS Senator Velmanette Montgomery was quick to point out the City’s abysmal management of the current shelter at the Bedford-Atlantic Armory, "We have had this ongoing battle to try to clean up this facility for many years, and we have still not gotten the city to pay attention," so rather than working with us to help bring the necessary support to the men in this facility they are now going to dump another number of homeless men in this place that is not fit for the men who live here already." Speaking of the disrespect for the Brooklyn communities that are home to the Armory, Councilmember de Blasio commented that it would "have been nice if the City of New York had come to you and said, 'What should we do here? How can we improve the community?' But that's never the way the City of New York starts the discussion," said de Blasio. "It never goes to people who've been the backbone of the community and says, 'What's the right thing to do?'"
According to Borough President Markowitz, the planned move of the intake center would be bad for both Brooklyn and Manhattan. "Manhattan residents agree with us because their fear is that if they move the intake center to here, more of those that need services will choose not to come to Brooklyn and will stay on the streets of Manhattan."
» 06/03/2008 press release
» Errol Louis interviews Rachel Pratt on WWRL on May 30, 2008
» 05/05/2008 press release
» In the press
Adding the Citywide homeless men’s intake center to this already overburdened neighborhood will mean:
Increased Street Homelessness in our Neighborhood and Throughout the City: Each day, between 50-200 homeless men in New York City seek shelter. Because of the difficulty getting to the Armory and its reputation as a dangerous place, many will choose to remain on the streets near the Armory or in the other boroughs.
More Bus Traffic on our Streets: Buses will bring men to the Armory for intake and will move them to other shelters after intake, clogging the already dangerous intersections near Atlantic and Bedford Avenues and spilling over into nearby residential streets.
Worse conditions for the Homeless: The Bedford-Atlantic armory has the worst reputation of any men’s shelter in the city because of inefficient management and lack of services. City data shows that Crown Heights North already has more than its fair share of residential social service beds—six times more than most Brooklyn neighborhoods.
CHARM is joined in opposition by the Coalition for the Homeless, other Brooklyn community groups, businesses, residents, and many of Brooklyn’s elected officials including Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Councilmembers Letitia James and Bill Deblasio, NYS Senators Eric Adams and Velmanette Montgomery, and NYS Assemblymen Karim Camara and Hakeem Jeffries.
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