Park Slope Backs Homeless Shelters, Petition Signed By 1,000 Says

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Spurred by a petition circulating against two homeless shelters coming to Fourth Avenue, a local advocacy group has gathered more than 1,000 signatures in support of the developments, hoping to prove that most Park Slopers will embrace the new families.

Citizen Squirrel, an organization that promotes civic engagement with elementary kids, has gained 1,180 signatures on the online petition in just the six day since posting it. The petition also includes 50 or so more people who signed physical copies, Citizen Squirrel Founder Kathy Park Price said.

The mother of two, who also sits on Community Board 6 and District 15's Education Council, said she felt compelled to start gathering signatures after noticing another petition against the shelters had already been signed by 800 people.

"That's when I felt something had to be done," Price said. "200 signatures was one thing, 800 was too much...Changing the narrative about how our community feels about homeless families who need shelter felt doable and necessary."

Both petitions surround a 12-story building at 535 Fourth Ave. and an 11-story complex at 555 Fourth Ave. that will open more than 250 units for homeless families this fall. The two shelters will be leased out by the city's Department of Homeless Services as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to tackle homelessness in the city by building 90 new shelters and will be run by the nonprofit WIN.

Since the city announced the plans to turn the developments into homeless shelters, a group of residents, who formed the group Fourth Avenue Matters (FAM), have started organizing against the proposal. Another group, Fourth Avenue Committee, started the opposing petition.

Both of those groups say that their main point of contention is that the $6.3 million and $4.6 million yearly rent the city will pay for the two buildings has bailed out "bad actor" developers and that the new families will overburden the area's infrastructure.

Price's petition, though, argues that supporting the shelters, and the families that live in them, is the neighborhood's moral obligation. She said her gut feeling that most Park Slopers felt this way seems to be confirmed by how quickly the petition has spread.

"I wish we didn't need family shelters at all, but two are coming to Park Slope and they will be run by a reputable organization that has a track record of being good neighbors and helping families get back on their feet," she said. "CB6 and CB7 residents can and will feel a range of feelings about the shelters, which is understandable, but at the end of the day, what connects those who have signed the petition thus far is that we would rather help these families in need rather than rally against them."

Citizen Squirrel's petition contends that Park Slope should instead help the families, which will largely be single mothers with children, get back on their feet by volunteering, providing job opportunities, join WIN's Community Advisory Group and donate to the shelters.

The petition also touches on the fact that Park Slope does not have many shelters, which is a main reason area was slated for one of de Blasio's 90 new shelters. The mayor's "Turning the Tide" plan aims to provide shelters closer to where homeless New Yorkers live and work, rather than concentrated only in lower-income communities.

The two shelters are set to open this fall and will add to several other shelters throughout the city run by WIN, which serves about 10,000 homeless women and their children each year.

WIN's president, Christine Quinn, has also argued that the "small minority that is very vocal" speaking out against the shelters is likely not the way most neighbors feel. WIN's recent surveys have shown that 59 percent of New Yorkers, and 62 percent of Brooklynites, support a shelter being added to their neighborhood, she said.

Price said she hopes the petition will only grow to continue showing this narrative.

"Acknowleding that media shapes opinions, without the petition, the idea that Park Slope hates homeless people would continue to be a headline," she said. "I'm glad that conversation has changed as a result of neighbors speaking up and coming together...Yes, I wrote the petition, but it served as a vehicle for my neighbors to band together and declare support for families in need."