Weekly action items and updates from GHC #FairShare4Harlem
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| STRIVING FOR A HARLEM WHERE ALL PEOPLE CAN THRIVE
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| TAKE ACTION Sign The Petition to Demand Supportive Senior Housing in Our Community |
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| Just look at 125th Street. Does Harlem need New York City to bring more people with severe issues into our community? Harlem asked for supportive housing for our seniors during the East Harlem visioning process. HPD then performed a bait-and-switch - rejecting the community's unanimous request for senior housing. Harlem is of one voice. We demand that Timbale Terrace be reserved for our vulnerable seniors.
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| NYT: ONPOINT SERVING USERS FROM BROOKLYN Users Commute Daily To Purchase Drugs From The Open Air Drug Market In Front Of OnPoint |
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| As has been suspected, OnPoint caters to people suffering from addiction from the entire New York area, and is not targeting East Harlem residents. The New York Times notes: |
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| "Among those who have had their overdoses reversed at OnPoint is Eddie M., 69, a former typesetter who travels almost every day to East Harlem from Brooklyn so he can inject his drugs under supervision." |
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| The article speculated on whether or not OnPoint (by aiding and abetting drug use) could be charged under the 'crack house' statute through federal action. |
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| TAKE ACTION Attend The CB11 Land Use Meeting on Zoom, Tonight |
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| Please sign up and attend the CB11 Land Use meeting TONIGHT to tell the Land Use Committee why sending more people with severe mental illness and addiction issues from other New York neighborhoods to Harlem is simply too much. |
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| BEHOLD THE COMMENTS Harlem Responds To The NYT Article On Drug Commuters |
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| August 9th's article in the New York Times noted that OnPoint's illegal operation on East 126th Street might be shut down by a Federal DA, elicited a number of comments, many of which were from Harlem residents living near OnPoint and suffering from the brisk dealing and using that spills out of OnPoint and into neighboring blocks: |
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| "Oh PLEEEEEASE let this be the case. This neighborhood has spiraled downward RAPIDLY because of this so- called “safe” site. People might not be overdosing inside the site, but instead, they leave there with their “safe” needles (the site will tell you that they don’t, but I live here. I know otherwise.) then they proceed to OD right on the sidewalk in front of schools, senior centers, on your way to the supermarket, everywhere. Sam Rivera is a charlatan that has some people fooled. But not the people that actually live in East Harlem. We see the destruction he and this site have caused." |
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| "Sam Rivera the Executive Director of OnPoint NYC just released data about the demographics of the users of the centers. But he conveniently continues to withhold the zipcodes of their residence. The reason is obviously that the zipcode data shows that OnPoint attracts people struggling with addicion from all over NY City and the NY region. Harlem has become a dumping ground for these types of services. I say put them in ALL the neighborhoods of the City, if they're so great. The existential issue is that this single-minded approach to addiction (harm reduction with no required rehabiliation or treatment of mental illness) is not getting to the root of the problem. On the contrary. It enables the use of drugs and keeps the drug dealers very happy, while destroying the neighborhoods of hardworking New Yorkers and their families. We're essentially helping people to slowly kill themselves in our streets. What's so great about that?" |
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| "As someone who has picked up over 50 used needles around East 117 St., including those which are filled with blood and spiked with intact needles, I can say that the new “clean up” workers are doing a good job, as the streets are definitely cleaner from used needles. However, we still see people shooting up on the street, and more dealers on the street, and people who clearly are from out side the area who have come to take advantage of the situation to shoot up or sell. In the end, the neighborhood is not being aided but USED by outsiders taking advantage of a lower income community to shield their efforts with no concern for our residents." |
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| "Even if the center saves lives, it has absolutely destroyed the area. Is this fair for the rest of the neighborhood? The children? it's just sad. When Pathmark came and then The Harlem Children's Zone people were so encouraged about 125th Street, and now it's completely abominable in those blocks. Last time I was getting the 6 train there people were shooting up on the platform. It needs to stop. There has to be a better way. The director is totally wrong that it was always like this. Not true." |
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