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Antonio Reynoso
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Deparment of Homeless Services / Department of Social Services
Molly Wasow Park
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parkm@dhs.nyc.gov
Karen H. St. Hilaire
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Sara Zuiderveen
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Department of Buildings
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James S. Oddo
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Jason Razefsky
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Brooklyn, NY 11220
Phone: 718-439-9012
City Council Member
Alexa Avilés
District38@council.nyc.gov
Chief of Staff
Edward Cerna
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Assembly Member
Marcela Mitaynes
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ad51@nyassembly.gov
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NY STATE SENATOR 26th DISTRICT
Andrew Gounardes
Phone: (518) 455-3270
gounardes@nysenate.gov
Our Open Letter to the Mayor’s Office:
April 11, 2024
To: Mayor Eric Adams, New York City,
cc: Maria Torress Springer, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Housing
cc: DSS/HRA Commissioner Molly Wasow Park, First Deputy Commissioner Jill Berry, Department of Social Services - Department of Homeless Services
Dear Mayor Adams,
We write to you on behalf of the residents and stakeholders of Greenwood Heights and Sunset Park, who are deeply concerned about the proposed development of a large-scale homeless shelter at 225 25th Street / 290 24th Street (DOB Job# B01027795 Filing# I1). Our community, which already supports a significant number of shelters within one mile of this location, thinks that the addition of a 300+ bed facility will strain our neighborhood's resources and infrastructure beyond capacity.
Our concerns are not rooted in opposition to aiding those in need. Rather, they are centered on two critical issues: the disproportionate and unfair distribution of shelters within Community District 7, and the selection of developers whose ethical practices have been repeatedly called into question.
At least four (probably more) shelters lie within 5-blocks of this location, which is information you can access–although residents have mentioned shelters on 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th, 29th, and 30th Streets—with several more shelters in the 30’s.
How is it possible that the owners of this building: Mr. Levitan, Mr. Shafran, and their associates can even consider opening another shelter within this small neighborhood that while welcoming, is already burdened with municipal facilities? In addition, the decision to continually award shelter contracts to Mr. Levitan and Mr. Shafran, despite significant public disquiet concerning their business conduct, raises substantive questions about the transparency and criteria the City employs in its partner selection process for such critical social services. The choice of developers with a contentious history in managing city shelter contracts casts a shadow over the integrity of the City’s processes, suggesting a disregard for public trust and the welfare of our community's most vulnerable members.
Given these concerns, we respectfully request a detailed explanation of the criteria used for selecting shelter sites and these developers, alongside any due diligence reports or ethical audits of your “fair share” policy. We demand a meaningful engagement with our community, including residents, local businesses, and advocacy groups, to identify and implement solutions that address the needs of the homeless population without compromising the health and vitality of our neighborhoods.
The collective voice of our community, represented by the 600 signatures we have gathered in less than a week primarily from residents within 7 blocks of this proposed site, reflects our steadfast desire for justice, fairness, accountability, and our involvement in decisions that affect our neighborhood's future.
We would like to invite Commissioner Molly Wasow Park to engage with residents in a town hall meeting this month. We feel that this issue is highly urgent, not just due to the new proposed shelter, but also so that you can learn about the critical challenges facing this community where there is a shelter on nearly every block. City Council Member Alexa Aviles mentioned at our recent community meeting that she would help to organize this with the residents and Commissioner, for which we are appreciative.
Respectfully,
Greenwood Heights Association
A Response From: Department of Social Services/Department of Homeless Services (DSS/DHS), April 25th.