From the Forum West:Plans for a homeless shelter in Elmhurst have been halted after the city terminated its agreement with the organization seeking to run the facility out of a 58th Avenue building, but residents’ relief might be short lived, as the future of the property is still unclear.
The city Human Resource Administration cancelled its Memorandum of Understanding with Queens Alliance “to protect the confidentiality of our clients,” according to department spokeswoman Barbara Brancaccio. Queens Alliance had planned to open a homeless shelter for 29 individuals at 86-18 58th Avenue, despite huge uproar from neighbors who say that type of facility isn’t appropriate for the residential block.
While Brancaccio refused to say how the Queens Alliance breached their potential client’s confidentiality, literature distributed by the organization to the public stated that while the location wouldn’t serve as an HIV/AIDS treatment center, “only HIV/AIDS positive individuals who are asymptomatic may be referred to this facility.”
Brancaccio said the termination of the Memorandum of Understanding ends the city’s involvement in the 58th Avenue location for now. She indicated that Queens Alliance –which has no track record running these types of facilities – is free to submit another application to the city to open a shelter on 58th Avenue, where they have a 10 year lease with the building owner.
From the Daily News:
"We're in the shelter business," said Queens Alliance lawyer Mitchell Ross. "We want to help people. ... And we will operate a shelter there."
The shelter did not receive clients from the city during the roughly one month it was open, but Ross said he still hopes to work with the city.
"We stand ready to continue to work with the community board, the civic association and any other responsible parties to assure all of them that this shelter will not become a problem in their neighborhood," he said.
This is nothing more than a new type of blockbusting. The city and the media can spin it however they wish, but why else would transients be placed in the middle of a thriving middle class community of young families?
5 comments:
It looks as though the only way to keep their neighborhood and children safe from this sociopathic child predator Commissar is to be certain to vote (register first) for the right people to represent them.
Tony Avella, as Mayor, would never permit alcoholics, drug addicts and AIDs patiens to swarm their neighborhood and endanger their children or their families.
Neither would Michael Cohen as a city council member representing them.
Both Tony Avella and Michael Cohen are decent, civilized family people who actually understand any parent's first concern is that their children be safe.
These residents, home owners, parents, and taxpayers know that to have a child predator in power will be the destruction of the neighborhood.
This Child predator Commissar has the bulldozers ready to level their neighborhood (including the Homeless Shelter which is there just to make these hardworking people sell their property).
He and his extremely wealthy developer cronies have plans for a shopping center, or condos, or hotels, or anything they believe will make them even far wealthier.
So, folks, get together, get more and more neighbors registered and ready to vote this dangerous predator out of office on election day.
Replace the predator and his council developer lovers with respectable, civilized representatives who will keep your family safe!
No Unity, No Community. People have to come together to protect their neighborhoods. Bloomberg will still try to put this shelter in Elmhurst unless the community keeps protesting against this. Don't give up! Don't vote for Bloomberg. Let him know that this neighborhood is full of middle class families and we want our quality of life. Tell him to put this shelter in Manhattan near his townhouse.
maybe their elected offficals will come to bat for them
ha ha ha
maybe their community board will come to bat for them
he he he
maybe their community newspaper will come to bat for them
ho ho ho
the only open question is what winner from the community will be their new 'spokesperson' ready to negotiate a 'sensible compromise' with the developer whose voice will conveniently drown out everyone else.
The squeaky wheel always get the oil. The homeowners of 58th Ave. have a very valid point. Pressure must be continued in order for them to retain their community family oriented neighborhood. No matter what the lawyer, Mitch Ross says, they will come out on top. Boo to Queens Alliance and the way they try to destroy neighborhoods. The residents will not give up. They will fight for what is right. It's about time things stop being shoved down our throats. This is America...is it not!! Both the residents and COMET Civic are working very hard to attain a final solution, so don't give up on the situation. Keep supporting everything they do and everything they ask you to do. The city will try to stop you everyway they can but hang in there...this situation can be overturned and the residents will be the winners. Remember too, election time is only a heart beat away. Put much needed pressure on the elected officials, Katz, Bloomie and even the HRA Commish and let them all know that this area is a beautiful community and that's how you want to keep it. Bombard their offices everyday, drive them crazy. As I said in my opening statement.......the squeaky wheel gets the oil.
the majaor issue here is the Queens Alliance and their blatent disrespect and lack of humanity for the hiv community. these people need more than a bed. there is no services here for their health and well being. food stamps and a microwave. don't you think this vunerable community needs three healthy meals a day? queens allaiance is just in it for the money. swipe their card nightly, get locked in from 10 pm to 6 am, and queens alliance gets paid by the city. this is a disgrace and i am surprised that the hiv community is not up in arms over a non service as this. other shelters for the homeless worked for years, for example sacred heart in glendale. each night the homeless were bussed to the church and the parisioners cooked them a hot, healthy meal and a safe place to sleep. in the morning they were back on the bus and returned to manhattan for social services. this program was in existance for years without any community resistance, until the mayor recently pulled the plug. why? because the mayor does not want homeless in manhattan
Post a Comment