Submission by Alice Williamson / 16 year resident of East New York
I wrote an OpEd that was published on EastNewYork.com over a year ago about the growing number of hotel shelters that had been popping up throughout East New York, but unfortunately the shelters continue to pop up. Now, in the same area where there are at least 6 hotel shelters there seems to be a mini tent city of homeless individuals growing. The section that I am talking about is the stretch of blocks in and around Georgia Ave. and Belmont Ave.
I drive down the block daily on my way to work. The block is heavy with traffic because it is a thoroughfare to get to Atlantic Ave. The area looks like a true tent city, which I have not seen in any other part of New York City. The situation is getting worse week by week. If I can see what is going on I’m sure the elected officials and Community Board 5 members are also aware of the situation. There are middle schools and high schools in the area, which means students find themselves walking down these blocks.
Besides the tent city setup, there’s prostitution and garbage literally lining the street and sidewalk for the full length of the block. There has to be something that can be done about the growing homeless population in East New York, as well as the garbage that makes the area look like the neighborhood is back in the 70’s. We are going into the year 2022 but we are living in conditions that we saw 50 years ago. This is insane. Two weeks ago I saw a grown woman on that street with nothing on but what looked like a diaper, at 8:30am, which is the time when students are on their way to school.
I am pleading with elected officials and the Community Board to please take care of this situation. We are paying taxes that should include sanitation as well as services to get homeless individuals off the streets and into permanent housing with proper social services. It’s only going to get worse if the situation is not addressed. The community is going backwards.
Thousands of people drive down Georgia Ave. on their way to Atlantic Ave. daily, and I am positive that our elected officials and Community Board members drive down the same stretch. The residents shouldn’t have to march down the streets to get attention to the situation because the so-called leaders of the community are already aware of the problems. The people of the community would be marching on the elected officials and the community board. These are the people who are being paid to manage the community. We really need them to do their jobs. I understand that the community board members are unpaid but there is a paid staff at the District Office and the elected officials are paid and they have paid staffs as well. We don’t need them to march with us, we just need them to do their jobs and take care of the situation.
Thanks to EastNewYork.com for publishing and allowing me to vent.
I’ve been in this community since 1983. The community came through the crack era to turn around. Prostitution and drug selling was wiped out. That’s when all the stores popped up on Pennsylvania Avenue. Now due all the homeless hotels, the lack of the foot patrol by police the neighborhood and continually reelecting ineffective local officials my neighborhood is falling in decline. There’s even a new smoke shop right near the elementary school. Something must be done!!!!
I am a relatively new resident of East NY. I bought a home here six years ago. I definitely agree some improvements could be made. Developers build those hotels because they get paid by the city to house the homeless. It is really lucrative for them and the city doesn’t care that it isn’t the kind of growth and buildings we need out here. They tore down a gorgeous old house to build one place on Pennsylvania Ave. a few years ago. Such a shame. I’m sure the pandemic made homelessness more of an issue but the author is right, it isn’t acceptable and our local officials are turning a blind eye to the homeless population (as well as to the feral cat population out here which is out of control. I do cat rescue and we are trying to get it cleaned up by spaying and neutering but there aren’t enough resources). I see prostitutes all the time over in the industrial areas like Alabama Ave. These people need help.
I am resident of East New York/Cypress Hills for the past 64 years. Meaning I was born and raised here. Unfortunately, our elected officials are unable to tackle what is important to the residents of our neighborhoods. Elected officials attempt to placate the donors to their coffers. Then the elected officials might try to do something for the regular Joe. I was able to stop a builder from tear down a home on my block. I wrote the Community Board, spoke to the Council person via telephone. She presented my concerns to the Department of Buildings and now the home will not be torn down. The home was purchased by a local individual and now will be re-modeled. Beats me what transpired between the City Councilperson and Department of buildings but action is the only way our elected officials are going to listen to us. The Op-Ed was informative and on the money. Hope we can get things straightened out.
The amount of garbage and homelessness continues to get progressively worst. The streets are not getting cleaned and abandoned cars are allowed to sit for years. The abandoned lots are horrible. The leaders of ENY are incompetent and need to be replaced.
We will have a brand new mayor l truly hope he and all of us. Can help our community! I’m so tried of seeing our people going through so much, l really hope we can get it together for us all! So let’s keep up the good fight and keep on moving. Thank You for letting me vent.
I live in ENY (Cypress Hill if you must) Pennsylvania and Jamaica is the just as bad. Fulton worst. We have the shelters and halfway houses. These units release a ton of unstable individuals that are causing issues around the neighborhood. Gun shoots and muggings are increasing concerns and for the entire summer, my neighbors and I refused to allow our children outside for aby reason. We are now trying to get to someone to help with this, but it is falling on deaf ears. Cops are camped out on our blocks daily, but it’s not helping. I agree with it feeling like the 80s again. Cars going by with gunshots sounding mufflers, making it hard for you to distinguish between the cars and the real thing. There are people constantly screaming /crying that results in cops having to be called and some are vandalizing our homes during the nights. It’s terrifying to raise your kids in this. I’ve actually have been attacked but thank God nothing happened in the end.