Talk Bronx New York

 

An embattled north Bronx neighborhood is being eyed as the site for a city-sponsored homeless shelter.

Project Renewal submitted plans to the city Department of Homeless Services and notified Community Board 12 last week of its plan to open the shelter at 4380 Bronx Blvd.

The 100-bed transitional shelter is to be located on a commercial strip mostly filled with automotive shops.

It is the second social services facility proposed for the Wakefield neighborhood.

Praxis Housing Initiatives last month said it intends to open a multistory building at 4339 White Plains Road with about 60 apartments for homeless people who have medical issues like HIV or AIDS or addiction problems.

Project Renewal’s proposal must now be reviewed by the DHS, a process that could take anywhere from weeks to months.

The DHS has recently opened several shelters and so-called “cluster sites” in the Bronx as it struggles to house large numbers of people rendered homeless by the sagging economy.

“We’re opening facilities all around the city to meet the record demand,” said DHS Commissioner Robert Hess, citing an “unparalleled demand” for homeless services across the nation.

“We’ll continue to do that to meet our legal obligations to house everyone who comes into our system every day.”

Project Renewal now operates four shelters in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, Praxis defended its proposal for the White Plains Road development.

“This is not a shelter. It’s permanent supportive housing,” said spokeswoman Jolie Milstein.

“This could turn around the neighborhood and be the beginning of the revitalization of upper White Plains Road.”

But community leaders have concerns about both projects.

“All of these facilities are too big,” said the Rev. Richard Gorman, chairman of Community Board 12. “Just by their size alone, they make integration into the larger community very difficult, if not impossible.

“In many cases, they are serving populations we don’t have in Community Board 12, and even while they pretend they are giving benefit to the community, it’s very hard to see how the community benefits.”

Local officials said it’s going to be very hard to oppose the Praxis plans because the development does not need zoning approval.

Gorman said it was too early to know if the Project Renewal plan would require a zoning change.

“The community residents and the Wakefield merchants have been fighting to revitalize White Plains Road,” said Carmen Rosa, CB 12’s district manager.

“Everything we worked for for the past 10 years - if you put these shelters here, it will turn us back 20 years.”

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Tags: Bronx Living, Bronx Neighborhood News, Bronx News, Bronx People, Community, Community Board 1, Community Board 12, Department of Homeless Services, DHS, HIV, homeless, Manhattan, neighborhood, North Bronx, The Bronx, Wakefield, White Plains Road

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