Although homelessness in New York may be hitting Great Depression-levels, creating housing for those most in need can still encounter the same old major not-in-my-backyard roadblocks.
That a tall new shelter is set to rise in a high-profile Manhattan neighborhood can seem nothing short of remarkable. Yet the unique circumstances of the 21-story project, which will add shelter space and affordable apartments in Turtle Bay at 225 E. 45th St., may be hard to replicate elsewhere.
“This is not such a traditional residential block, so there aren’t many residents who will be affected,” said Eric Rosenbaum, CEO of Project Renewal, a nonprofit homeless services provider that is co-developing the project with the firm Monadnock Development. “But also we have been here for a long time, and we are a neighbor who people know and respect.”