Battle in Brooklyn over affordable housing, shelters

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Affordable housing is a pressing need in New York City. Crown Heights in Brooklyn is one example of where the fight for affordable housing is being waged.

The neighborhood is also home to one of the largest groups of displaced residents and is featured prominently in the city's plan for 90 new homeless shelters.

"In the Crown Heights community, we have opened one of the first five shelters already. A second shelter, there is a dispute in court," Human Resources Administration Commissioner Steven Banks said. "We're confident that ultimately we will prevail because our plan is one in which there will be a net reduction in beds in that particular community and across Crown Heights we are eliminating facilities as  we shrink the footprint of the shelter system."

Musa Moore, the chairman of Community Board 9, suggests the city allow for the development of permanent housing that residents can actually afford. Many local residents feel that they are being pushed out.