Concerned residents, local councilwoman protest housing for formerly incarcerated people at Jacobi
The current plan is to house people leaving jail with serious ailments in an empty building at 1900 Seminole Ave.
A rally and press conference was held in Morris Park on Friday as Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato and troubled residents protested formerly incarcerated individuals being housed at Jacobi Hospital.
The Just Home Project is coming from NYC Health + Hospitals and the Housing Preservation and Development city agency. It plans to house people leaving jail with serious ailments in an empty building at 1900 Seminole Ave.
MORE: Families protest plan to house formerly incarcerated at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
“This is a beautiful, diverse neighborhood with all kinds of people. We don't want criminals walking around our neighborhood,” said Morris Park resident Frank Vignali.
Councilmember Marmorato says that the goalposts have been moved on this project, furthering the community’s issues with the plan altogether.
“They initially told us it was going to be critically ill, formerly incarcerated individuals,” said Marmorato. “Now it has turned into pre-trial homeless individuals with drug addiction or mental health challenges.”
Attendees of the rally say they’d much prefer if the building were changed into a birthing center for women or housing for seniors and veterans – but they say transparency and the shutdown of the Just Home Project are the most important.
