WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES OCTOBER 10, 2019 3
CB5 hearing on Glendale homeless
shelter draws a huge, irate crowd
BY MAX PARROTT
MPARROTT@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Planned as a meeting for the
Department of Homeless Services
(DHS) to broadcast the details of
the proposed Glendale homeless
shelter and collect feedback, Community
Board 5’s public hearing
Monday night devolved into an over
hour-long tussle filled with shouting
matches, interruptions and an
incitement of violence.
More than 1,000 residents — the
vast majority of whom were there
to protest the shelter — streamed
into Christ the King High School
Auditorium through a lobby filled
with a heavy police presence and
metal detectors.
After the representatives from
DHS and service provider Westhab
detailed the programs for the proposed
shelter at 78-16 Cooper Ave.,
residents gave their arguments for
and against the shelter in between
speeches by local elected officials
including Councilman Bob Holden,
state Senator Joseph Addabbo and
Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi.
Shelter opponents among the
massive crowd fervently cheered
those fighting the plan with them —
and drowned out those who did not
staunchly make a case against the
development, including the representatives
of the city agencies and
event’s emcee, Community Board 5
Chair Vincent Arcuri.
The affair was so unruly that, at
one point, Arcuri had to instruct
police officers to eject numerous
rowdy residents.
EXPLAINING THE PLAN
DHS representatives began the
hearing by attempting to explain
how the shelter fits into its “Turning
the Tide on Homelessness” initiative
aimed at completely eliminating the
city’s use of commercial hotels and
privately-owned apartments also
known as “cluster sites.”
Westhab then reviewed the Glendale
shelter’s status as a vocational
center, which will contain 200 adult
males who either have jobs or will
be participating in a jobs training
program aimed at placing them in
area positions.
Westhab Vice President Jim
Coughlin said that average length
of stay in the facility is 9 months.
It will also include a curfew for its
clients, who are only permitted to
come and go from the shelter on
their to work. It is set to open in the
spring of 2020.
State Sen. Joseph Addabbo speaks during Community Board 5’s meeting on
the proposed Glendale homeless shelter. Photo: Max Parrot/QNS
CHEERS AND JEERS
Nothing said by the DHS or Westhab
seemed to assuage the demonstrative
shelter opponents.
Mike Papa, a member of the
Glendale Middle Village Coalition
who was the first resident to speak
out against the facility at Monday’s
hearing, declared that the facility
would dump sexual predators “coming
straight out of prison” into the
area, with its eight surrounding
schools.
“I want to start by assuring everyone
that this is not a done deal,”
Papa said.
The next speaker, Crystal Wolfe,
an author of a book on homelessness,
addressed the crowd to debunk
some what she deemed to be misinformation
about homelessness.
“Another myth about homelessness
is that property values decrease,”
she said to overpowering
boos from the audience.
Both the residents defending and
attacking the shelter did have one
thing in common: They both heaped
vitriol at Mayor Bill de Blasio and
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s response to
the homelessness crisis in New York
City.
Those against the shelter issued
complaints that they aren’t being listened
to and declared their distrust
of Department of Homelessness.
“The arrogance of imposing solutions
on people from the top down
— this is not America,” said Maspeth
resident Jerry Drake.
Meanwhile, a contingent of
progressive-minded residents who
came to argue for the shelter made
the case that the root of homelessness
is a failure to truly address
New York’s housing crisis.
“You should all be working together
to fight city hall to build housing
for our city. I don’t see why anyone
would be against building housing
for those who need it,” said Raquel
Namuche, an organizer with the
Ridgewood Tenants Union.
WARM RESPONSE FOR
COLD REMARK
The tension between the city officials
and shelter opponents reached
its peak when the next speaker
opposing the shelter took an ugly,
violent turn.
“I do not care about the homeless.
I feel sorry but I don’t want them in
my backyard,” the woman said. “I
hope someone is going to burn that
place down.”
The crowd erupted into cheers.
At this point, DHS Assistant Commissioner
Matthew Borden stopped
the woman’s speech.
“I’m sorry but I can’t abide that.
You can’t threaten to bomb a shelter
where there are people living.
I refuse to accept that in New York
City,” he said.
Arcuri took the moment to rebuke
Borden for interrupting the
resident, saying that he needed to
pay her respect.
‘Making money off the
homeless’
Of the politicians who attended,
Addabbo and Holden encouraged
the residents in their fight against
the shelter. Holden accused the city
of “making money off of the homeless”
and repeated his demand for a
school at the Cooper Avenue site.
Addabbo opposed the shelter
on the principle of resisting large
shelters in general, citing concerns
over infrastructure, transportation
and public safety.
Hevesi, who was the only politician
present who did not staunchly
oppose the shelter, saved his criticism
for residents who he accused
of dehumanizing the homeless and
for city and state government.
“For those of you who are yelling
saying that they are all criminals,
saying they are all sexual predators,
saying they are all horrible people
as opposed to human beings who
lost their apartments, shame on
you,” he said.
Board 5 District Manager Gary
Giordano closed out the meeting by
clarifying the CB 5’s Committee on
Homeless will devise a recommendation
on the development before
the board votes on the matter. He
said that they hope to have this
ready the board’s next meeting on
Oct. 16.
POINTING FINGERS
OVER ROWDINESS
Asked what he thought of the
interruptions after the meeting,
Arcuri blamed the meeting’s unruliness
on the attendees associated
with the Ridgewood Tenants Union,
who he accused of being “plantees.”
“Without the ones who were planted,
it would have gone much better,”
said Arcuri, referring to the group
as “hipsters from Bushwick.”
Glendale resident Dorie Figliola,
who opposes the shelter, didn’t
share Arcuri’s view about the root
of the pandemonium. She came away
wanting to distance herself from
other people who spoke against the
shelter at the hearing.
“Many of us do not want a shelter
but we are not hateful people. And
I was not happy with the display,”
said Figiola.
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