We have been informed with concrete evidence that just two months after Brian Cunningham won the Assembly 43rd district ‘special’ election and started representing our community. Cunningham’s thank-you to the askonim who supported him and to the residents of Crown Heights and East Flatbush who just elected him was to ‘gift’ the neighborhood a 1,100-room ‘Mega’ Homeless Shelter.

The NY Assembly bill A10520, which Assembly Member Cunningham sponsored and was later signed into law by the Governor, allows New York State to develop the infamous Mega Homeless shelter at 681 Clarkson Ave (corner Albany Ave).

If Assemblyman Cunningham had simply done nothing, by not sponsoring such legislation, then the Clarkson Ave homeless shelter project would still be at a halt.

“The bill would authorize the state medical care facilities finance agency to sell, exchange, transfer, lease and convey real property located in Brooklyn, New York at 681 Clarkson Avenue.”

“To sell Kingsboro Psychiatric Center to a Housing Development Fund Corporation at below fair value, provided that the office of mental health and the division of housing and community renewal agree upon a price, and the property is used housing to support individuals with mental health disabilities.”

“Vital Brooklyn addresses chronic social, economic, and health disparities in central Brooklyn, one of the most underserved areas in the State.”

In a statement, a member of anash Ahron Gluck, who recently announced his candidacy for the NYS Assembly challenging Cunningham, said:

“Since I announced my intent to run for office, many community members asked me how If elected I can make an actual difference to help Crown Heights. In addition to my policies which are outlined here. This is a prime example that if elected, I will sponsor legislation to undo the sale of the mega homeless shelter property so that our community won’t have to suffer by being forced to accept 1,100 units for halfway homes from all over the city, state, country, and even the world, to roam and destroy our beautiful neighborhood,” Gluck concluded.

Video (@ 16:17:44) of Assembly Member Brian Cunningham’s pro Vital Brooklyn (mega homeless shelter) legislation voted on in the NYS Assembly.

A Lubavitcher resident who lives on Rutland Road, just blocks away from the proposed mega homeless shelter, said: “This is a betrayal from Assemblyman Cunningham to both the Jewish community and our friends and neighbors in the African American community on the highest level. Just after I voted for him in the special election, the Assembly member deliberately sponsored reckless legislation to destroy the district by flooding the neighborhood with 1,100 previously incarcerated individuals.”

A lifelong African American homeowner who lives on E 45th Street, less than 50 feet away from the proposed mega homeless shelter, said: “By forcing 1,100 formerly incarcerated individuals into our neighborhood this will hurt our youth. It will lead to crime, gangs and violent incidents. The African American parents in our community say NO to this project. Instead of Assemblyman Cunningham treating the black community like we are fools by trying to convince us with terms like ‘supportive housing’ and ‘Halfway homes’ that this is anything but a Homeless Shelter HQ—he should listen to the local African American families which all feel this is a civil rights discrimination tactic targeting black and brown residents and we are furious at AM Cunningham for neglecting his people. The elected officials would never allow this sort of project to be placed in a white area like Park Slope.”

An African American woman from the district that resides near the proposed shelter, voiced her concern that Assembly member Cunningham is directly supporting the many homeless shelters with legislation and funding because he gets donations from the “lobbyists,” while abandoning his black and brown constituents, which are an overwhelmingly majority of the residents living near Clarkson Ave, that suffer from the daily crime committed by those residing in the nearly dozen homeless shelters currently near Kings County Hospital in Crown Heights and East Flatbush.

The East Flatbush Chabad families have recently started a Democrat party voter registration drive to help elect a member of anash, since all attempts to reason with the elected officials have failed. They are calling on the entire Crown Heights Lubavitcher community to join them by organizing your own voter registration drive on your block, in your building, for your Shul, and with your WhatsApp groups.

For Crown Heights and East Flatbush residents to vote for Ahron Gluck in this year’s Democratic primary election so he can try to stop the homeless shelter, you must be registered as a Democrat:
https://e-register.vote.nyc/