Panel Discussion on Affordable Housing

Panel Discussion on Affordable Housing will be on
Thursday Oct. 29th at 7 PM sharp
Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation

(Classon bet. Park and Prospect Places)

Final Questions for Affordable Housing Discussion.
1. What is affordable housing?
2. What do you see as the main reasons we don't have more affordable housing in New York?
3. What can New York City and New York State do to encourage the creation of more affordable housing?
4. What are the pros and cons of affordable ownership and affordable rentals?
5. What has been your experience with the Section 8 Housing program?
6. Would it be possible to screen affordable housing candidates for financial responsibility, independent living skills and ability to contribute to the stability of the community?
7. Why do you think the city spends so much on homeless housing when it's so much cheaper to build permanent housing?
8. Can derelict homes and buildings be converted to affordable housing?
9. Can already built empty developer buildings be converted to affordable housing?
10. Do you see "green" features as something that should be required in affordable housing projects?
11. What was your most successful affordable housing project? What was your least successful? Why?
12. What role can the community play in helping create more affordable housing?

Sorry to disappoint those of you who have heard the rumor that we had won and stopped the intake center.Unfortunately this is not true.

The City’s Department of Homeless Services still intends to add an intake center to the shelter at the Bedford Atlantic Armory.

Where things stand now:

1. The Department of Homeless Services is only postponing moving an intake center into our armory for about a year.

2. Thanks to all of our efforts and the efforts of our elected officials in Albany:

Assemblymen Karim Camara and Hakim Jeffries and Senator Eric Adams, the state has mandated that the city maintain an intake center in Manhattan. This mandate shows how effective a united community can be. DHS is looking for a new Manhattan site. Although this is good, we have no details about the bed-count, location etc. And, DHS still plans to place an intake center at the Bed-Atlantic Armory. Until a new Manhattan intake center site is found, the intake center at Belleview will remain open.

3. As before, DHS says putting up half the money for a Track and Field at the Bedford Atlantic Armory is contingenton our communities’ accepting an intake center there.

The fact is we must stay united and continue to stay active in our fight to stop the city’s Department of Homeless Services from placing an intake center at the Bed-Atlantic Armory. We have pushed them back. Now we must stop them.

Please stay alert and report anything related to the Bed-Atlantic Armory shelter, keep the petitions coming and be prepared to participate in calls to action, forums, rallies and town hall meetings.

FORT GREENE FOOD CONFERENCE

Following the huge success of the recent Brooklyn Food Conference, the community is proud to present another grassroots neighborhood-based event to support a just, sustainable, healthy and delicious food system in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

Talk, listen and learn (and eat!) at the…

FORT GREENE FOOD CONFERENCE

Sponsored by Council Member Letitia James

All Free! There will be guest speakers, two-hours of workshops, and a closing with healthy foods provided by some of the best restaurants in Fort Greene.

When: Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, 1PM-6PM

Where: PS 67 - 51 St. Edwards Street (between Park and Myrtle Avenues in Brooklyn)

Co-sponsored by: The Greene Hill Food Coop; The Brooklyn Food Coalition; The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership; FUREE; and many other partners.

For more information, go to: brooklynfoodconference.org/fg

or call: (718) 260-9191

Block Transformation Grants

Citizens Committee for New York City is pleased to announce a new block transformation grants program. Awardees will receive a $500 cash grant along with expedited support from city agencies for block improvements such as cleaning up a vacant lot, replacing worn out litter baskets, removing graffiti, and replacing worn out street signs. Application deadline: Monday, November 30, 2009. Application forms can be downloaded here: http://www.citizensnyc.org/projects/love_your_nyc_block.html For more information, please contact: Scott Codey at 212-829565/scodey@citizensnyc.org Alicia Rouault at 212-822-9558/arouault@citizensnyc.org

Bedford-Atlantic Armory Update

Representative from CB8, CHNA and CHRM attended two meetings at Borough Hall regarding the proposed intake center. In July, Burough President, Marty Markowitz, and his Chief of Staff, Carlo Scissura, Esq., and three other staff members met with the community reps. A second meeting held in August was attended by the same community reps and the three staff members. The BP and Chief of Staff did not attend the second meeting. At these meetings the community reps made it very clear that the communities at the epicenter of the potential Bed-Atlantic intake center will not accept an intake center under any circumstances. We continue to state: that the city maintain an intake center in Manhattan; that a well-run Manhattan intake center is sufficient; and, that the city should stop considering the Bedford Atlanic armory shelter/assessment center as a potential intake center site. We were invited to attend a third meeting at the BP's office but the BP's office cancelled that meeting. Instead they plan to meet with a number of our elected officials and possibly Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Hess to discuss the armories in Brooklyn. We can feel assured that the elected officials (Eric Adams, Karim Camara, Letitia James and Hakeem Jeffries) who have been working with us to oppose the intake center will continue their opposition to the addition of an intake center at the Bed-Atlantic Armoroy shelter/assessment center. A number of other elected officials also stand with us on this issue. We are planning a big community event to show our strength. It will take place in the next few weeks. You will receive information about this as soon as details are known.

Crow Hill Bistro

Tavern on Nostrand is now Crow Hill Bistro (813 Nostrand Ave, btwn Union & President - map) no, it's not strictly in our Crow Hill boundaries, but we love the name thank you Nostrand Park for the tweet-alert

Opening Saturday 10/3

A new coffee shop: Breukelen Coffee House, is opening where Point de Couture used to be at 764 Franklin (and St. Johns) Their hours will be: M-F 7am-7pm/Sat 7am-6pm/Sun 7am-5pm. Let's all give them a warm welcome to Crow Hill

YOU'RE INVITED!

CHNA's 3rd annual House Tour

Sponsored by the Crown Heights North Association, Inc. (CHNA)

Date: Oct. 3rd, 2009
Starting Location: St. Gregory's R.C. Church, 919 St. John's Place and Brooklyn Ave.
Opening Ceremony: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Self-Guided Tours: 12:00noon - 5:00pm

Other activities: Information tables and representatives from city agencies and community non-profit organizations (10:30 - 12:30)

Raffle: Prizes: Spa Gift Basket; Dinner for Two; Wine Gift basket; Decorative Throw Pillows; Grand Marnier Cake; Red Velvet Cupcakes

Our tour this year features the homes of artists, artisans and entrepreneurs. We once again visit homes brought back from the ruins, as well as some of the newest homes in the neighborhood. We also feature two very different and magnificent sacred spaces, all worthy of your attention for their architectural beauty and for the services they provide to the community. We celebrate our Children’s Museum, as well as a museum dedicated to our famous West Indian Day Parade, and we invite you to visit our beautiful and award winning Community Garden.

Please visit our website: www.crownheightsnorth.org

Armory Update

The updates regarding the Bed-Atlantic Intake Center plan follow: 1. There have been rumors that we have stopped the plan to place an intake center for homeless men at the Bedford Atlantic Armory shelter/assessment center. These rumors are not true. We have slowed the city down but we have not yet stopped this plan. We must keep up our opposition with petition signatures, phone calls and attendance at rallies and press conferences. 2. The Task Force's Executive Committee met with our lawyers this week. The lawsuit is prepared and ready to go, when and if we need to deploy that strategy. In the meantime, Councilmember James is planning a press conference for right after Labor Day to highlight the spate of shootings on Franklin Avenue near Bedford-Atlantic and the overall increase in gang activity in the area, in order to drive home the point that this is already an overstressed neighborhood, . We also plan to have another rally in opposition to a Bedford-Atlantic intake center at the end of September. It is urgent that we to keep the pressure on. Everything we're doing is having an effect. So be prepared for a phone call or email asking for your help to bring people out to both the press conference and the rally. In the meantime, keep those signed petitions coming in..

come on out for summer fun

Council Member Letitia James

partners with Bristen’s Eatery

to make smoothies for the

Franklin/Sterling Flea Market

this Saturday

Come taste a fresh fruit smoothie made especially for you by Council Member James

(Brooklyn, NY) – Council Member Letitia James and Carleen Haughton, owner of Bristen’s Eatery located at 751 Franklin Avenue, will be serving up fresh smoothies to the community this Saturday.

Their aim is to raise awareness of the Franklin/Sterling Flea, and of businesses on Franklin Avenue in Crow Hill, Brooklyn. Spaces are still available for vendors to become a part of the Flea. Any businesses interested in participating should feel free to apply for space at the flea market.

The Crow Hill Association also continues to be of great assistance to Franklin Avenue businesses and the Franklin/Sterling Flea with their Go Green-Go Clean committee. The association provides cleaning up help, as well as donates plants for business and homes on Franklin Avenue.

Who: Council Member Letitia James, Bristen’s Eatery, and the Crow Hill Association

What: Smoothie Making Event at the Franklin/Sterling Flea Market

When: Saturday, July 11^th at 2pm

Where: Franklin Avenue and Sterling Place (next to 751 Franklin Avenue)