Maya McFadden Photos
Smith with neighbors Saturday outside New Haven Inn: City is working with us.
West Hills neighbors called off a protest Saturday after hearing the city has granted their requests for additions to a plan to begin sheltering homeless people at a winter “warming center” in their neighborhood.
The city has contracted with New Haven Inn hotel on Pond Lily Avenue to house up to 120 homeless people there starting this week through the winter months, with on-site social services.
Original demands presented to city.
Read about the plan here, and about a Nov. 10 meeting at which neighbors expressed concerns about exacerbation of already existing drug and crime problems in their part of town.
The neighbors drew up a list of demands presented to the city, including the use of Ring cameras, fencing, increased police patrols, and alarm systems to monitor any problems associated with the warming center.
Alders Honda Smith and Richard Furlow met Friday with city Community Services Administrator Mehul Dalal and mayoral Chief of Staff Sean Matteson to discuss the demands.
Then Smith on Saturday informed 10 neighbors gathered outside the hotel to stage a protest that the city had agreed to work with the alders on those demands.
“Lets’ give them the time to follow through on their promises,” Smith said 15 minutes into the protest, and the crowd dispersed.
“We’re committed to working with Alder Smith to lessen the impact” of the warming center on the neighborhood, Matteson confirmed Saturday evening. He said the city will provide the Ring camera devices to neighbors, expand ShotSpotter to the area, and have police officers write their reports while parked in the New Haven Inn lot, among other measures. He also noted that BH Care, the agency contracting with the city to operate the center, and other agencies will have services on site for homeless people staying there.
During the brief rally the group was met with honks of support from neighbors driving past.
“You have spoken and your words have been heard,” Ward chair Iva Johnson said to the crowd. “We won. Let’s claim victory.”
A follow-up community meeting is set for Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. at “The Shack” community center on Valley Street.
Alders Richard Furlow, Trisha Walker Myers, Honda Smith.
After the Saturday gathering, Alders Smith, Furlow, and Tyisha Walker-Myers took a walk down the residential block of Pond Lily Avenue just across from the hotel.
Smith pointed out properties whose owners have dealt with trespassing from homeless individuals. Smith pointed out one home that has since armed the entrance fence with a padlock.
The owner of another home Smith pointed out had put up fencing due to homeless individuals entering the property and sleeping in sheds and tents in backyards.
“This owner says her fence is always getting jumped,” Smith said.
She also pointed out the properties that have made complaints about individuals crossing over through to get to neighboring streets at night.
Alders check out Pond Lily Avenue resident concerns.
How about this for the Homeless.
A new refuge for Newark's homeless: Shipping containers
Mayor Ras Baraka just unveiled seven retrofitted containers to house up to 24 people for a 90-day pilot program. Set up on a vacant lot, they feature 20 cheerfully decorated, dorm-style rooms with bunk beds. There are also separate showers.
The designer is Steve Schneider, of the California-based nonprofit Homes 4 the Homeless, who has a background in manufacturing electric vehicles, a fascination with tiny home living, and some experience with homelessness himself, he told Star-Ledger Editorial Board Member Julie O'Connor
Why shipping containers?
A. I've been traveling overseas quite a bit because in my former life, I was a designer and manufacturer of electric vehicles. I was fascinated that, especially in China, they're housing millions of people using this type of structure. They're building Marriott and Travelodge hotels, big things out of these containers. You wouldn't even know they're shipping containers.
I went to this factory, which turned out to be the largest in the world, and watched what they were doing with these containers – not only cost effectively, but also safely and rapidly. They were able to produce really phenomenal housing. And it can be set up in a week. Modularization creates amazing efficiency. Sixteen shipping containers can be stacked on top of each other without any structural engineering because they're built so perfectly. Their modularization is a great reason for people to use them as building blocks for residential housing.
https://www.nj.com/opinion/2021/03/a-new-refuge-for-newarks-homeless-shipping-containers.html