Plan for housing homeless families in Brooklyn prompts dueling petitions
NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - More than 2,000 residents of Park Slope have signed a petition supporting the plan for a 250-unit building for homeless families with children on Fourth Avenue.
Kathy Price, the founder of the group Citizen Squirrel, started the petition to show support for homeless families. It has garnered more signatures than a rival petition that opposes the plan.
City Councilman Brad Lander, who lives around the corner from the building, said he applauds Kathy's petition and the residents who signed it.
"I'm really heartened that so many of our neighbors signed this petition," he said.
At least some of those opposed to the shelters object not to giving homeless families a place to live in their community but to the cost of giving them this only temporary home. They say they'd rather see the city address the root cause of homelessness and give the homeless more permanent homes instead of removing 250 units from this already-expensive neighborhood.
Kathy admitted she didn't know the particulars of this deal or how the city sited these buildings. she said she merely wanted to combat the sentiment that Park Slopers were selfish.
"It's really the principle of helping families and having our fair share of shelters," she said.
LINKS TO RIVAL PETITIONS:
We Support the Family Shelters in Park Slope
Petition Regarding Proposed Homeless Shelters at 535 and 555 4th Avenue