News

NEW YORK, NY May 08, 2008 —Some Crown Heights, Brooklyn residents are crying 'Not In My Back Yard' over plans for relocating a homeless men's intake center.

REPORTER: Local officials warn the shelter already has a dangerous reputation and adding more men will only make it worse.

Currently, homeless men enter the shelter system at Bellevue on Manhattan's east side, but the city wants to close that facility and do intakes at the Bedford Atlantic Armory instead.

But, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz says the Armory is too far a trip for most of the homeless to make:

MARKOWITZ: This proposal means that the majority of the street homeless who we know are in the Manhattan central business district will have to travel 9 miles further to get Crown Heights...for intake to a site which quite frankly is not the brightest light.

REPORTER: The Department of Homeless Services says moving homeless men directly into apartments will cut out the need for intake. Commissioner Rob Hess says DHS plans to reduce the beds at the Crown Heights facility by more than 100.

It will take about a year to complete the change.