Morris Park residents push back as 'Just Home' project heads to City Council vote
The project is being led by The Fortune Society, a nonprofit that supports individuals reentering society after incarceration.
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Some Morris Park residents are raising concerns over a proposed housing project that would place formerly incarcerated individuals with complex medical needs in a vacant building on the NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi campus.
Community advocates like Jonathan Reilly, treasurer of the Morris Park Community Association, are among those opposing the plan known as Just Home.
“Who's going to control them?” Reilly asked. “They just dump them in your lap and then say, 'Well, you go ahead and fend for yourself.’”
The project is being led by The Fortune Society, a nonprofit that supports individuals reentering society after incarceration. President and CEO Stanley Richards says Just Home will include 58 supportive housing units for formerly incarcerated individuals and 25 affordable units for the broader community.
He also emphasized safety and services as key components of the plan.
“We have 24-hour residential aid security, on-site services including case management, a computer lab, and food and nutrition programs,” said Richards.
Richards hopes the project not only secures the necessary funding but also earns the trust of the community.
“When we provide a place for people to live in dignity, steeped in hope, it makes all of our communities safer,” he said.
As the debate continues, City Council members are preparing for a final vote, aiming to balance the urgent need for affordable housing with community concerns.
The City Council is expected to vote on the Just Home proposal this Thursday - a decision that could either move the project forward or bring it to a stop.
