Condos for Convicts

Photo via BushwickBK




A luxury condo in Bushwick, Brooklyn is being converted into a halfway house, according to the Times Newsweekly. All eight units in the building on the corner of Willoughby and Evergreen Avenues have remained unsold since going on the market in 2007, and rather than renting the units, the building's owners have reportedly made a deal to operate it as a halfway house. Community members are up-in-arms at the announcement.

The building, designed by Scarano Architects, had units listed for more than $600,000, which would be abnormally expensive even for other parts of Bushwick, and this location in particular is near known drug spots as well as a daycare center, according to local resident Evette Villafane.

Villafane said at a recent community council meeting that the conversion started to happen without the community's knowledge. District Manager for Community Board 4 Nadine Whitted also said at the meeting that while the halfway house is not necessarily unwelcome, there needs to be an effort on the part of its operators, an organization known as the Gelzer foundation.

Is is unclear from the Times Newsweekly story whether the building is already serving as a halfway house and what modifications, if any, will be made. It is possible that anti-gentrification advocates may claim this as a victory for affordable housing. The story also does not explain how the money from the city to operate a halfway house could possibly be greater than renting the units.

The situation is well-summarized by commenter Matt on the blog Bushwick BK: "everyone needs a place to go, but recovering addicts in a posh condo on a weird corner with drug activity still in the area?" he wrote. "This aughta be interesting."