With applications now submitted for a new development project at Flushing’s Municipal Lot 3 on 41st Avenue, nearly 4,000 local seniors, family members and residents have banded together to call for the inclusion of housing for the elderly at the site.
The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is currently reviewing responses to its request for proposals (RFP) on the property.
Michael Koo of the Chinese American Business Association helped put together a petition over the last two weeks in response to what he calls a crisis for seniors living in Flushing.
“We want to see senior housing,” Michael said. “Our people are going to Jamaica or going to the Bronx. They don’t want that. It’s too far and it’s strange for them.”
Koo brought the stack of signatures to Councilman Peter Koo’s office, located at 135-27 28th Avenue, in hopes of his support for the additional senior housing.
“Because of the pending development of Municipal Lot 3, there is a potential for a senior building there,” Councilman Peter Koo said at a roundtable meeting in his office last week.
The councilman added that well-planned senior housing is especially important and it must be close to transportation or near local amenities because of disabilities that often come along with old age.
“I will turn this in to the mayor’s office and also let HPD know that the seniors in our community really want more senior housing,” he said. “A lot of them have waited more than 10 years to get into senior housing.”
Councilman Peter Koo and CABA member Michael Koo hold roughly 4,000 signatures in support of additional senior housing in Flushing.
Seniors join Councilman Peter Koo at his office to discuss their frustration with the lack of senior housing in their community.
[QE]