The Giuliani administration yesterday backed away from its plan to place a homeless shelter in the Brooklyn district of a political enemy.
Giuliani aides and City Councilman Stephen DiBrienza revealed they have been holding talks to modify legislation that regulates homeless shelters and caps the number of beds at any new shelters at 200.
Livid over the DiBrienza-sponsored bill, the mayor last month said he was going to evict several community programs from a city-owned building in Cobble Hill and place a homeless shelter there.
After taking heavy criticism for his plan, the mayor modified it slightly this month, saying a state-run mental-health center could remain but that the other tenants – including a local community board and a civic association – would have to make way for the homeless.
The mental-health center, an affiliate of the South Beach Psychiatric Facility on Staten Island, serves about 500 mentally ill patients and takes up about 80 percent of the building at 250 Baltic St.
The building’s other tenants were preparing themselves for an eviction that could have come as early as tomorrow.
But in an 11th-hour reprieve, the city’s top lawyer wrote one of the tenants to say there will be no evictions, at least until Monday.
“We are in the midst of discussions with counsel on the matter,” said mayoral spokeswoman Colleen Roche.
An administration insider, who asked not to be named, said a compromise plan with DiBrienza is the works.
One of the biggest objections Giuliani officials had to DiBrienza’s bill was a provision that requires the city to provide private rooms for families staying overnight at a Bronx intake center.
The center, known as the Emergency Assistance Unit, is supposed to be a placement agency, but it often serves as an overnight shelter for families.
After learning of Corporation Counsel Michael Hess’ letter, DiBrienza said he was hopeful he could hammer out an agreement with the mayor.
“I’m glad that cooler heads prevailed,” DiBrienza said.
“It’s good news that people are taking a step back.”
“Our goal in the EAU is to make sure that children aren’t sleeping on the floor. That’s still going to be our goal,” said Council Speaker Michael Clendenin.
An employee at Families First, a youth center located in the Baltic Street building, said she was thrilled over the latest development – but still worried over the future.
“We’re really just a piece on a big chess board in this, and it’s causing a lot of anxiety,” said Maria Pagano.
“We’re really hanging by a string, and we hope this can just be settled soon,” Pagano said.