The City’s Human Resources Administration is pushing to make six long-vacant, two-story buildings on Hollis Avenue – between 202nd and 204th Streets, in Hollis Queens – into permanent affordable housing for homeless veterans. The roughly 120-unit complex is in the midst of gut renovations, according to DNAinfo. The Bluestone Group is currently leasing the properties, which span 202-04 to 203-24 Hollis Avenue, from Rita Stark. The buildings are now being furnished, although there’s no word yet on when move-ins can be expected.
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Homeless housing is the worst possible use for these formerly abandonned properties on Hollis Ave. Within 3 blocks of the buildings there is an elementary school, an intermediate school, a faith-based academy for chidren and a daycare center for local children.
The surrounding streets contain mostly single family homes whose owners are middle class blacks who fought desperately to maintain their properties following the 2008 financial crisis that threatened many of them with foreclosure.
The Hollis Avenue business strip is finally beginning to recover vitality after a long period of decline and boarded up shops. Homeless housing will increase security problems in the area such as an increase in assaults, thefts, panhandling, etc.
Opening up a large homeless housing development on Hollis Ave speaks to sheer incompetence in planning. Further, it shows a blatant disregard for the health of this community in it’s struggle to recover. A senior housing development is what is needed here and would be a much better use of the property.