Description

To BP Oddo

I am writing this in reference to the homeless shelter that Mayor Deblasio wants to erect at 44 Victory Blvd. I am a resident of St. George since 2005, and I am opposed to this project for several reasons.
First, it is inhumane to house 200 plus people in one location. This will NOT benefit these families because we don’t have the infrastructure to accommodate them. Our schools are already overcrowded.. where will these children go to school? Furthermore, it will be directly across the street from NEEDLE PARK.. As you know, it is filled with mentally ill homeless, drug addicts, and sex offenders.
Why put this directly in the middle of the Bay Street Corridor?? The entire area is going through a revitalization, and to put this shelter here will set us backwards. So many of us have invested in the neighborhood because of this renaissance, and it’s a slap in the face to homeowner and mom and pop businesses.
The North Shore is OVERBURDENED with social services, while Mid Island, West Shore, and South Shore has little, if not none. This is not fair the homeless families and us. Housing the homeless is NOT the answer. Finding them PERMANENTLY housing so they can live peacefully with us IS the remedy to bring down the numbers of the homeless. I urge you to speak to our Mayor and Christine Quinn and find a BETTER solution.

Thank you,
Lillian Palumbo