Community given hope that construction may begin in Spring 2027
Rallies, protests, and petitions have been utilized since the end of May to call attention to a major delay in building low-income affordable housing on the former Greenpoint Hospital campus across from Cooper Park.
The delay was due to City’s plan to relocate the inhabitants of the 30th Street Shelter, also known as Bellevue, to other facilities. This shelter closed at end of April.
One of the facilities utilized in this relocation was a shelter at 300 Skillman Avenue that had just been replaced by a brand new shelter (across the street). Once the new shelter was in operation, the former shelter was to be renovated into low-income affordable housing. However, this couldn’t happen while the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) and NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) determined they would hold on to 300 Skillman as an assessment shelter.
The Cooper Park community, which had worked for 40 years to create a plan to build affordable housing for lower incomes and seniors that included 300 Skillman, understood the reasoning for the holdup but urged the city agencies to find an alternative that wouldn’t delay the development of desperately necessary affordable housing. In any event, they requested a date when DSS and DHS would vacate so they could better adjust their plans for the space. When a date to vacate wasn’t provided, a petition was created that received over 1700 signatures, a rally was held on May 28 in front of both shelters, and another rally was held on September 17 in front of DHS at 33 Beaver Street, NYC.
At the May 28 rally, Debra Benders, president of the Cooper Park Resident Association, said, “This protest is about preserving the future of affordable housing and ensuring the community is not left in the dark about decisions that affect our neighborhood. It’s about giving us the space that we need for seniors and affordable housing for anybody that could be homeless.”
NYS Senator Julia Salazar; NYC Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez; and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, represented by Alexis Rodriguez his dep. chief of staff for external affairs, participated in the rally at DHS on September 17. After this rally, the elected officials followed up with DHS.
An answer came on September 29. DSS informed Brooklyn Community Board 1 that DHS will close out use of this assessment site in spring 2027.
“DSS’s temporary shelter provides vital services, but the time has come to advance the affordable housing development long planned for this site. The housing crisis is pushing working class New Yorkers out of our city, and we can’t wait any longer to increase supply. After an impasse concerning how long the shelter would remain, the community’s broad-based advocacy paid off–and we’re looking forward to the development moving ahead this coming spring. I’m proud of our work together to meet our community’s varied needs so that all of us can thrive and flourish. I’m so grateful for the efforts of St. Nicks Alliance, my fellow elected officials, and all our community partners,” said Salazar.
