8 The QUEE NS Courier • SEPTEMBER 8, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Photo: Anthony Giudice/THE COURIER Maspeth residents turn their backs to the podium during last week’s public hearing on a proposed homeless shelter in their community. FURIOUS MASPETH RESIDENTS TURN THEIR BACKS ON CITY OFFICIAL AT HEARING OVER HOMELESS SHELTER BY ANTHONY GIUDICE housing stock, but to house 220 people agiudice@qns.com/@A_GiudiceReport in inadequate hotel rooms, “that makes you a failure.” They’re mad as hell, and they’re not going to take it anymore. Lawmakers tell the city to back off Over one thousand angry residents filled the The Aug. 31 meeting was just the latest chapter Knockdown Center in Maspeth on Wednesday in the ongoing battle against the homeless shelter, night to once again show Mayor Bill de Blasio, as residents have previously marched across his administration and the Department of Maspeth and held nightly protests outside of the Homeless Services (DHS) that they will not Holiday Inn. stand for the planned homeless shelter that the Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley announced Holiday Inn Express. during the meeting that she, state Senator As Vincent Arcuri, chair of Community Board Joseph Addabbo and Assemblywoman Margaret 5 (CB 5), which organized the public meeting, Markey have joined together to file a lawsuit introduced Steven Banks, commissioner of the against the Mayor’s Office. Human Resources Administration (HRA), the “This lawsuit declares that the Mayor’s Office entire audience rose as one out of their seats and is in clear violation of the city’s administrative turned their backs on him, refusing to hear what code,” Crowley said to cheers from the he had to say about the city’s homelessness crisis audience. “The law states that adult, homeless and the plan for the Holiday Inn. families must be housed in units with kitchen “So it’s an Irish protest,” Arcuri said, to the ire facilities — which we know do not exist inside of some of those in attendance who found the hotel rooms.” remark off-color. The lawmaker also mentioned the fact that When community members had their chance the de Blasio administration has been letting on the microphone, they held nothing back, contracts with legal cluster shelters across the calling the mayor’s administration and Banks city end. himself failures for their handling of the city’s “Now, while the administration may try to homelessness crisis. hide behind an emergency declaration for this “This is nothing more than a glorified jail cell, Maspeth shelter, the truth remains clear — the this Holiday Inn Express,” said Robert Holden, mayor is allowing these other contracts to be president of the Juniper Park Civic Association phased out, and is giving up these legal cluster (JPCA). “Mark my words, if it comes, we will do sites,” Crowley added. “The goal of this lawsuit everything possible to shut that area down on a is to stop the administration from letting go of nightly basis and we will not tolerate something their existing contracts, to help improve the conditions that’s being shoved down our throats.” within the clusters, and ensure the city is Holden continued by telling Banks that the community isn’t opposed to taking in a few homeless families that fit into the neighborhood’s doing what is right, fair and just.” When Addabbo took the mic, he seemed to confirm a suspicion among Maspeth residents that the city is dumping burdens on them, and Queens in general. “Nobody knows this, two or so years ago all the Queens elected officials were called into City Hall and we were told … that Queens was not taking its fair share, and therefore we are getting shelters,” Addabbo said. “And we got seven days’ notice at that time to fight it. There’s no way we’re going to fight it. There’s no wait. Queens is taking its fair share. My concern has always been we are being targeted. And that’s why we have the Pan Am shelter, that’s why we are fighting Glendale, and Maspeth and the Metro hotel (in Elmhurst). We are being targeted and that is my concern, because the Mayor’s Office said so.” No mercy for Markey When Markey was introduced, she was greeted with a chorus of boos from the crowd because of her seeming lack of interest in her constituent’s fight against this homeless shelter. She was not at the first community meeting about the shelter, has not showed up to any of the nightly protests and was a no-show at the march on Saturday, Aug. 27. “Why are you booing me?” she asked the audience. After stating that she does not support the shelter and has not given any money toward it, she told the crowd, “You’re being manipulated.” She then threw up her hands and walked off to even more boos. 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