New York Daily News
Granite countertops. Terraces. Marble bathrooms. Walk-in closets.
The homeless are livin’ large in Brooklyn.
The city is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars a month to rent luxury condos in a Crown Heights building for homeless families.
“It’s like a hotel. It’s the nicest place I’ve ever lived in,” said Nelson Delgado, 36, who moved into a swanky two-bedroom, two-bath pad two weeks ago.
“It’s beautiful,” added Delgado, an out-of-work truck driver from Miami who’s living with his son Jeff, 17. “The closet in the main room is so big you could put a twin bed in there.”
Raymond, another resident who moved in more than a week ago with his wife and two young daughters, said he is still trying to get over his good luck.
“When I first saw it, I was like, ‘Wow, everything is brand new,'” said Raymond, who wouldn’t give his last name. “It has marble counters and marble floors in the bathrooms, too. I like the big kitchen. That’s my favorite.”
City officials said the condos – which couldn’t attract buyers in the fizzled housing market – are part of an effort to help an “unprecedented” number of homeless families who have ended up on the street because of the tough economy.
It appears to be the first time a faltering upscale building has found a new purpose as a shelter, said Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York.
Neighbors were furious the 67-unit building on East New York Ave., where apartments were supposed to sell for $250,000 to $350,000, has been turned into a shelter.
“I’m a hardworking taxpayer, and I don’t think homeless people should be living better than me,” fumed Desmond John, 35, a window salesman who wanted to rent one of the fancy apartments. “They said it’s not for rent. It’s a shelter. I was shocked.”
Luxury brokerage firm HQ Marketing Partners started promoting the condos last summer – with the hook that buyers could custom design the units.
When the market started to tank in the fall – and his gamble on a fringe neighborhood didn’t pay off – developer Avi Shriki said he had to come up with a Plan B.
“When the market went south, we knew we had to do something different,” said Shriki, 44. “With the market being the way it is you have to be creative.”
This spring, Shriki signed a 10-year contract with the Bushwick Economic Development Group to turn the building into a homeless shelter.
Shriki wouldn’t say how much he gets paid – but he said he jumped at the chance to get people in his building.
“At least we still own the building and we are paying our mortgage, so that’s good,” said Shriki. “The outcome is not as bad as some people I know who had to surrender the whole building to the bank.”
The city is paying Bushwick Economic Development Corp. $90 a night for each of the apartments, about $2,700 a month – a figure that also covers social services, housing help and job counseling designed to get families back on their feet.
The nonprofit declined to comment.
City officials defended the move, calling it a creative use of a building that otherwise could have become an empty blight.
“This is a case of innovation and outside-the-box thinking that benefits all those involved,” said Department of Homeless Services spokeswoman Heather Janik.
Shelter residents said it’s not their fault they landed in such swanky digs.
“People are saying we don’t deserve to live here,” said an 18-year-old man who gave his name only as “Boss,” who moved into a two-bedroom apartment with his mom last week.
“Just because a person fell out doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a place to stay,” he said.
I can’t understand how so many think that because individuals are down on their luck that we don’t have a responsibility to help them, it is of no fault of his own that the truck driver, who has no work due to the downturn of the economy, needs help to provide a place to live for his son and himself. To say that these condominiums are too good for the homeless or are better than were we live is quite selfish. The property, if left vacant, may have been a magnet for distructive individuals. By allowing the building to be… Read more »
this is reir ar taix mony is gowing?
WHAT CAN WE SAY… NEW YORK CITY HAS BEEN AN OBAMANATION WAY BEFORE HUSSEIN’S REGIME STARTED.
This is the stupidest state in the union.
It’s interesting that after a place is not available everybody knows people that would have moved in.
Had they moved in,we wouldn’t be reading this article.
Tell me which young couples would move to E. New York across from Rochester Park!!?? Get real!
what do u mean it’s our job to help the homeless??? it’s our job to help each other. the owner could have lowered the rent so young couples or young families could afford to move in!!! i know a few people who would move out there if it meant lower rent
I CAN’T BELEIVE I’M READING SUCH COMMENTS FROM FRUM JEWS!!!!
IT IS OUR JOB TO HELP THE HOMELESS AND I’M SO PROUD A JEWISH GUY GOT THE CREDIT FOR IT!
At least something extremely good and helpful is coming out of it. Helpping a family get off the street – even for one night can kick start a lifetime of good!
Be happy that the building isnt abandoned and derelict!!!!
I know the owner who build those condo he wanted to sell them to the crown heights residents he had loads of meeting with the developers and every one said no yidden is going to want to move out there. So he went a head and build having in mind that maybe he will sell them to yidden in the mean time he was thinking of renting them out to peaple b/c the market was not good One day the city came knocking on there door and said what are you planning on do ing with thease apartments and he… Read more »
I believe it’s on E NY across from Rochester park…
what st. is this b/w?
who wants to work, when we have free health care, and penthouses.
I understand these people need help, so just give them the minimum(not fancy apartments), so they should feel the need and motivation to get a job, to live lives on a higher standard.
It will encorage some people not to work and depend on the goverment.
lets all move in there 🙂
What do you want the building should be foreclosed upon and turned into a haven for drug addicts?
Enoremous danger to the civilized world
they’re off the streets & into OUR homes & cars…as thieves & criminals.
I didn’t recognize the building…where exactly is it?
Get over it.
This is the future.
You too can join.
Ask the boys in Williamsburgh. They are probably moving in on this geshmacke welfare.
you should have turned it into rentals, now the resale value of those condos will be much lower as everyone will know “thats where the homeless live” at least they are off the streets