Community leaders in Jamaica are fuming over a proposal to move homeless families with children into a 54-unit apartment building located at 170-02 93rd Avenue.
The proposed shelter is sponsored by Housing Bridge, a nonprofit organization and is currently awaiting approval from the city’s Department of Homeless Services. Should the proposal be approved, Housing Bridge will provide employment and case management services to its residents.
There are three major issues with the proposed shelter, explained Councilmember Leroy Comrie, who represents the 27th Council District that encompasses southeastern Queens.
“First, it’s right down the block from a single-parent female shelter. Second, it’s one block away from a senior center that’s already having a difficulty to maintain its safety,” said Comrie. “Third, the building itself has a lot of violations and needs to be torn down.”
“The community has more than its fair share of facilities,” added Comrie. “Some have been very disruptive to the neighborhood and the citizens.”
“We feel that we are the dumping ground. There are 17 shelters in Queens County. Of the 17, nine of them are in Community Board 12,” said Yvonne Reddick, the board’s district manager. According to Reddick, only 29 of the 330 families residing in the community’s existing shelters are from Queens.
Many of the homeless in her community are victims of predatory lending, fraudulent mortgage practices and unemployment.
“We’re not saying these homeless are bringing the community down,” she said. “But what about jobs? We already have high rates of unemployment. We’re getting additional people, but we’re not getting any additional services.”
Another concern, said Reddick, is that the influx of homeless children into the community will pose a bigger problem to the already overcrowded schools in Jamaica.
A call to Housing Bridge, requesting a response to the criticism, was not returned by press time.
“They’re [Housing Bridge] not concerned about these families. They’re concerned about profiting,” said Reddick.
