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, the Daily News has learned.
Video – City Turns Upscale Building into Homeless Shelter
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, the Daily News has learned.
“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, ‘Damn, 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.
Units priced at $350,000
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.”
City pays $90 a night
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.
liz
There was no place cheeper for the city to rent ? $90 a night?! Come on!
me myself and i
I love it… any info how i can go homeless.
i make less money per month then the city is paying for that housing
Sniff sniff
This smells like a scam.
Our tax dollars are paying for homeless to live in luxury.
The city official that approved this should be investigated for kick backs from the condo builder.
anonymous
The city has been paying this amount for years even in hotels they pay crazy ampount of money for people who have no place to live cheaper to help get them apartments or even pay thier rent where they were than to do this but they dont think,
eli
well i assure you if chanina wasnt busy with the photo ops we could have had a chance to get the building and have use for it.
but who cares, he gets his pictire. and we get the shaft
GREAT APARTMENTS
WHY DON’T WE GET SOME OF OUR NEWLYWEDS TO APPLY FOR AN APARTMENT THERE. IT’S NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYWAY, SO WHY NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE.
homeless wannabe
I think I’m gonnna burn down my apartment. Heheh
crown heights residents
I happend to know the owners
The city came knocking on there door and they said that they want the building for low income
i want to tell you that the owner just get a check every single month dose not have to worri about taxs warter and the city takes care of the maintence the person is million air from this.
He wanted to make those condo for us but all the developers said no one is going to live here.
so the city got it.
Chicken
And here I have five kids sleeping in one tiny bedroom. Because we can not afford to move. Why does this feel wrong?
ARGHH
THIRTY SEVEN HUDRED BUCKS PER UNIT FOR A FAMILY???
what about all of the rest of the ppl who can’t afford rent, but work, and are in school trying to make a better life for their family?
yossi
I would only feel okay about this if they used the condos exclusively for people that were working hard but lost their jobs due to the economy and need something temporary.
But what is it about these public offices that have unlimited budgets?