More Homeless Want Homes in Luxury Condos

1040 East New York Avenue, when it was under construction as luxury condos (and probably not conceived as future homeless shelter housing)

After publishing that quintessential degentrification story about a new luxury condo in Crown Heights being converted to a homeless shelter, the Daily News reports that after reading the article, at least four homeless people "flocked" to the building yesterday.

Unfortunately for them, it's not a simple matter of showing up at the door, saying you're homeless, and getting a two bedroom with walk-in closets and a ballroom extension; they were all redirected to "a main intake office." Meanwhile, neighbors are circulating a petition to oust the shelter because they think the homeless aren't so good for their property values—and maybe neighbors are also a little perturbed they have to pay rents/mortgages/taxes while some unemployed families are movin' on up for free.

However, a City Hall spokesman defended the temporary shelter policy: "The city has worked well with neighborhood-based nonprofits for decades... to find temporary apartments for families, and we'll continue to do so, even though these particular apartments are a rare exception." The city's paying about $2,700 a month per family to the Bushwick Economic Development Corp. for housing and counseling services; it's still not known how much goes to the building's owner.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on June 5, 2009 12:55 PM

Comments [rss]

jaycjay

"lol give it a few months it would either be stripped and or another shoot up spot"

Or... filled with homeless people anyway, but falling into disrepair and becoming a rat-infested fire hazard.

Neighbors should look at this as just the lesser of two evils.

Loulou

ok

so either you have the city take over create the temporary shelter for the homeless families along with additional social services

OR

not have any takers for the condos

empty luxury apartments buidlings in crown heights

lol give it a few months it would either be stripped and or another shoot up spot

As for the neighbors complaining..let them live..the condos would have been luxury condos regardless if it had went to some 4 person family that moved around shelters in the system or another yuppie (argh)

The city has to establish strict restrictions and requirements on that site though and keep the shelter actually temporary (occupant wise) and that would mean improving social services so that in time the families are less dependent on these services and the next family moves in.

whitecastlerock

Housing and counseling services. Put down the stem, eat, sleep, and look for a job...

hotstepper

more homeless also want:

gin

cardboard

hamburgers

place to poop

Hactar

Little do they know the mandatory free trip to the hunting lodge for the weekend will result in being hunted by Gary Busey.

wcoastpark

I think the word "luxury" is being used just a bit liberally when describing these condos.

JenChungsThong

I know a couple of fellas that'd like to show those homeless guys their "main intake office."

grandzu

Landlord isn't stupid. There is no other way he would get $2700 month (x how many otherwise empty apts) for an apt in Crown Heights.

jaycjay

"he would get $2700 month"

Unlike yesterday's, today's article makes very clear that the landlord does not get $2700/month for those units. So please, let's actually read it and not get into that foolishness a second day.

freddynyc

I would think there would be just as many condo vacancies on the Upper East Side at this time. If this is the route the city wants to go, it might as well go all out - we should offer nothing but the best for our downtrodden...

jaycjay

"If this is the route the city wants to go"

The city had nothing to do with this decision.

pudeljung

i find it outrageous that, with this one gimmicky exception, landlords would rather let these overpriced apts. sit empty for years rather than lower the rents to be affordable to average, working new yorkers.

Spirit of 76

It's a free market. If someone wants to lose money by having vacant units, that's completely legal. Stupid, but legal.

Smitty025

They own the building, they should be able to rent or not rent it as they please.

SP

They should be thrown in jail and have their property seized if they leave their buildings empty for more than six months.

pete

If you rent at a lower price, you depress the entire real estate market around you. Real estate agents and the RE/appraisal industry cook up statistics of average rent, average selling price, etc. Its a gentlemans club thing if you care about being able to rent for a high price in the future, you can't rent now at the above average high price, since you'll affect the industry averages. Its just better to take it off the market and have it sit, rather than destroy the cartel by lowering the price until its occupied. The buildings aren't special anyways and are disposable, those townhouses are as cheap as soviet housing.

ANGRYGOD11

There is only one way to choose who gets one of these prime apartments: THUNDERDOME.

NYC can make some good cash with pay-per-view.

The winners will also get cool neighbors like MasterBlaster.

NannyState

Annnnd away we go!

Jen Chung

The photo in the Daily News of the homeless man holding yesterday's Daily News (open to the story about the condo-turned-shelter) is classic.