New Haven Independent

Posted by: Ellis Copleland | January 14, 2009 4:02 PM

This site should DEFINITLEY be used to house the homeless as the population is growing and current shelters are in dire straits.

Posted by: John John | January 14, 2009 7:37 PM

Put the police training academy there, and turn the current police range into a place where homeless people can collect mail, shower, use a computer, eat and sleep.
how the hell are homeless people going to get all the way out to the armory. it's a pain in the but for someone like me to get there in my car.
or better yet, make the armory on goffe st. a place for the homeless to get their lives back in order, it's closer to downtown and many other social services, it's next to the prision, so the neighbors really can't say it's making the neighborhood bad, and i never see anyone going in there.

Posted by: James | January 14, 2009 7:58 PM

Ellis, this city already shoulders far more than our fair share of the social service burden for this state. How about we build some shelters in Milford or Guilford? Or how about I just send my paychecks directly to the city since I seem to work for the sole purpose of supporting the unemployed, homeless, drug addicted, and mentally ill. Don't get me wrong, people who need help should be provided with help, basic human compassion, and the tools that they need to become productive members of society. But when you are placing the burden of a broad social problem solely on a small segment of the population you're going to see resentment and a reduction in the number of those people willing to live in such a community. As it is New Haven is essentially a welfare state with all of the ills that come along with such a status.

More homeless shelters are the LAST thing that New Haven needs. Fund the ones we have and then let the rest of the state do their share.

Posted by: James | January 14, 2009 8:01 PM

Here's another though. Help end homelessness in New Haven by NOT CONSTANTLY ATTRACTING ADDITIONAL HOMELESS. If you were in CT and homeless where would you go? I'd make a bee line for New Haven.

Posted by: KAMB | January 15, 2009 1:19 AM

Amazing! Another property wanting to be used to house the homeless or affordable low income. WHY? Use the porperty for the police department. These guys have no where to park, no where to put equipment, teach their cadets, etc. Why would you put homeless or low income housing so someone else gets rich from section 8 money? In the end the city will have to build a new police department costing the tax payers millions like in West Haven. I think its a great idea that the PD is not lookking to build one of these monster and costly buildings. Give it to them and tell or else we will all be homeless.

Posted by: cleanupdowntown | January 15, 2009 7:33 AM

Making this a homeless shelter is somewhat of a move in the right direction. Just not far enough. Get the shelters away from the center of New Haven. Spread them to other towns. By definition, the element of folks that are near these places discourages foot traffic, business, shopping, residences...etc Why should we have to bear all of this. We should also find a way to stop the suburbs from bringing their homeless and criminals here before we build more shelters. If not, we will only be encouraging them to bring more.

Posted by: Puh-leeze Dept | January 15, 2009 8:30 AM

This site is 2000 feet from a dormitory for SCSU. Don't college students have any say in noise from a shooting range? Oh, 'scuse me, just New Haven school students. Right........
This would be a perfect parcel for SCSU to obtain for future expansion, not another example of tucking the homeless in an out of the way location off the beaten path, like they do with low income housing. Snake oil anyone????
When is new haven going to sell the engingeering department and Public Works departments to balance the budget again? Soon it will be just the mayor, his awesome staff, someone answering the phones, the overstaffed board of Ed and Gilbane ( who does nothing to earn the outrageous amount of money they are paid to provide empty shirts to screw up the school construction program.)

Posted by: James | January 15, 2009 9:47 AM

Puh-leeze Dept

The range that is being proposed would be indoors and not generate any conspicuous noise. I recognize that the indoor range may not happen and that the Chief did mention that an outdoor range was possible, though this is the first time I've ever heard an outdoor range being mentioned. Regardless, yes, the range would be in earshot of a dorm and that stinks. But the current location is surrounded by schools and residences on all sides in dense urban neighborhood. This would certainly be an improvement, though I think that an indoor range must be part of the solution.

Posted by: Soontobeangryneighbor | January 15, 2009 1:16 PM

I like Bartow's point of view. Out of sight out of mind. If it isn't in her hood than it isn't a problem. Thanks for not caring about the pollution the range would bring to other city residents, the nearby river, and SCSU students. If this were next to a Yale dorm people would be screaming.

Posted by: norton street | January 15, 2009 4:18 PM

the current firing range is very close to scsu, its seperated by beaver ponds. the move improves life for beaver hill residents, and the scsu shall remain the same...is this not good?

Posted by: Ellis Copleland | January 16, 2009 12:36 AM

James: It would be really great to build shelters in Madison, Guilford, Branford, Woodbridge, etc. I'll help you put together a proposal. Let's see how far we get.

Meanwhile, back here on Planet Earth, NHPD is the LEAST deserving agency for this site. They are already overpampered. The new chief... will be long gone before anything happens, so who cares what he thinks.

Posted by: James | January 16, 2009 8:41 AM

Ellis, I agree that none of these townships are going to do a damn thing voluntarily. I'd even agree that a homeless shelter in Madison wouldn't be a good idea even if it could be done given the distance to services and lack of local resources. I'm just tired of a grossly disproportionate portion of my tax dollars going to social services and bloated and completely ineffective city government. Ignore me. I'm just fed up with New Haven and just about everything about it. Ignore me and I'll be gone soon enough (which, for me, is not nearly soon enough).

Posted by: kamb | January 16, 2009 9:06 AM

Ellis Copeland and James,
Your taxpaying dollars do not go towards these services. Do either of you have any idea what you're talking about . . I think not. The governemtn gives the city of New Haven money each and ever y year for housing homeless, and providing low income housing. Suburban towns lke East Haven, West Haven, Branford, Guilford, Clinton all have a percentage of their town allocated towards low income housing. You jus dont see it because they dont have massive housing complexes like New Haven. Your city is mismanaged by DeStefano who you folks re-elect every year and your budget gets worse every year. You and your mayor are theones to blame for the fiscal, criminal, and housing problems in the Elm City. . . . not other towns who hold there own.

Posted by: James | January 16, 2009 9:38 AM

Well, thanks for clearing that up KAMB. But wait. Who is this "government" of which you speak? Could it be... the US Government? Thank god I'm a citizen of French Polynesia. Oh, wait, no I'm not.

As for whether or not this impacts us locally and whether or not other towns pull their fair share, I'll just have to disagree with you.

Posted by: Ellis Copleland | January 16, 2009 12:20 PM

KAMB-- Actually, I DO know what I'm talking about. Yes, New Haven receives Federal dollars for a range of social services, HOWEVER the bulk of funding for homeless services comes from the city coffers which is why the Overflow shelter nearly did not open this season.

It is the case that New Haven pays a grossly disproportiate share for services. But that will not change as long as we cling to this antiquated structure of pissant towns. Nor as long as racism is so rampant.

Of course if we did the intelligent thing of re-creating the counties the money would just get sucked up by the mob. Social Services is about the only part of CT gov't not locked down by mobsters. Bitch about that please.

Bottom line-- you complacent twits have neither the brains nor the guts to do what needs to be done to salvage your state. In the meantime people are freezing and starving.

Posted by: citizen | January 16, 2009 2:39 PM

I vote for the NHPD to take over this site. I think the students would rather worry about some noise and not worry about their safety.
Besides, New Haven --in its current situation, or even if it was well managed--cannot afford another homeless shelter or low-income development. Enough is enough. I worked in housing and I had to leave; I couldn't stand my tax money (federal, state, and local) going down the drain and housing people that don't deserve it (not everyone, but most).
Moreover, a Shelter is not feasible because it is such an isolated area ---unfortunately, it's not that easy to keep low-income developments or shelters out of mind out of sight. Look at Brookside and Westville Manor (right next to Southern on the Hamden line). The NH Housing Authority doesn't know what to do with these developments because there's not enough access to public transport or anything else.
Homeless advocates, if you want to help the homeless, invite them to stay in your own house!

Posted by: kamb | January 18, 2009 4:06 AM

Ellis Copleland,
READ AND BECOME EDUCATED: I work 90 hours a week to support my family. And I love the fact that I am a hard worker and a go-getter. Work is always not easy to find but I make ends meet and I have a little left over to go on vacations. I was raised by my single mom who also had a strong hard work ethic. No handouts, and do for yourself. I'm sick of these monsterous housing sites being developed at the tax payers expense, city and state. Have you ever been in these housing complexes? Probably not. They are filled with wide screen TV's, big SUV trucks, 20 pairs of sneakers, and the heat is blasting at 80 degrees in the winter. This country is the only place where the poor have the same things as the middle class, just not quite as nice, . . and they complain about wanting more. So, I could care less about the failed and flawed welfare system you crave for. You want to help people get a step-up? . . . kick them in the a@# and teach them about pride, self respect, and hard work.

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | January 18, 2009 6:29 PM

KAMB

Couldn't of said it better myself. Where else would you have a 10 year plan to maintain homelessness? Talk about plantation politics!

Posted by: Seth | January 19, 2009 10:20 AM

The Southern students are already hearing the shooting from the current location of the Academy/Shooting Range. I am much more concerned with the families of Newhallville. The Southern students have made it to college, while the students at Robinson/King and previously Robinson and King have endured this racket for decades.

How many of those southern students listened to gunfire while their kindergarten teacher is attempting to teach them to read? Southern students made a choice to attend Southern, while the residents of the areas surrounding neighborhoods have made a social and economic investment in the New Haven community by purchasing homes and attending schools names after prominent African American figures. The shooting occurs during school hours and according to a representative of the NHPD, this is "unavoidable." I have a more fitting description...unacceptable!

My concern lies with the children and their right to develop their minds without the nuisance of gunfire.

Question: Does anyone know how many young people who have attended King/Robinson have gone on to graduate from college? I didn't think so.

Tax dollars trump Tuition in this case.