CB8 homeless meeting was a mess

To the editor:

The Community Board 8 land use committee meeting at The Riverdale Y on Thursday evening, July 27, left me speechless.

Three-quarters of the proceedings were devoted to the topic of a homeless services department families-with-shelter slated to open in mid-August, providing transitional emergency apartments for 83 homeless families from CB8 in a new building at 5731 Broadway. 

It’s unfortunate there has not been a more transparent process leading to the DHS decision to place the families at the Broadway location. 

It’s also a shame that the Stagg Group, the private development company constructing the building, has been dishonest in its dealings with CB8.

These realities gave a convenient cover for member after member of the land use committee to proclaim their sincere caring for the city’s homeless, while adamantly refusing to concede the need for temporary emergency housing for CB8’s homeless population. 

Our elected leaders — Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Councilman Andrew Cohen, as well as surrogates for Councilman Andy King, U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat and state Sen. Jeffrey Klein — all proclaimed their love and concern for the homeless while saying there simply cannot be a shelter for them on Broadway because the community has been duped, duped, I say!

The behavior of land use chair Charles Moerdler was shocking. Mr. Moerdler berated, bullied and scolded officials from the DHS and from Praxis Housing Initiatives, and made only feeble attempts to subdue a large crowd that screamed and whistled their way through the proceedings, egged on by their elected officials and some of the board members.

Mr. Moerdler challenged and summarily shut down speakers who attempted to express their support for the shelter, including myself.

I urge readers of The Press to read the 40-plus comments accompanying a July 20 Riverdale Press article, “Outrage erupts over homeless shelter,” most of which are either overtly racist, or sport the dog-whistle variety of racism. One comment calls homeless people “inmates, savages and mongrels,” another disparages single mothers and their “criminal, meal ticket” children, while another deplores the “dangerous and emotionally disturbed people from the South Bronx and all the crime and social issues they will bring.” 

There is a deep sickness in our community. And not only is there a lack of leadership on these issues, but worse, our supposed leaders are at the forefront of the community narrative, rapidly taking shape that the only opposition to a shelter on Broadway arises from outrage over process and concern that the homeless will be provided permanent housing — not from the deep-seated fear and loathing of our homeless neighbors and their children.

Where, truly, do we go from here? In two-and-a-half short hours, I saw a mob mentality at work in this meeting, with audience and leaders working together to create a self-serving narrative to hide their viciousness. 

On a more hopeful note, I applaud the July 27 Press editorial “Since when is it OK to turn our backs on the homeless,” including its plea to Mr. Dinowitz and Mr. Cohen to supply a compassionate vision for our community beyond their preoccupation with the local “business climate.”

JENNIFER SCARLOTT