Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Councilman Domenic Recchia, State Senators Diane Savino and Carl Kruger, and Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny expressed thanks to Robert Doar, Commissioner of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA), for his willingness to maintain services at the City’s Coney Island Food Stamp Center. Last month, HRA announced its plan to close the Center, located on 2865 West 8th Street in Brooklyn, but reversed its decision this week following community outcry and a September 23rd letter from Coney Island’s elected officials requesting that the Center remain open. The closure of that Center would have forced the 28,000 people who rely on its services to travel many miles to downtown and central Brooklyn to apply for and receive food stamps.

At present, the Center’s lease is set to expire in May 2010, prompting the elected officials to urge the City to make an additional commitment to maintain a permanent presence in Coney Island and ensure that food stamp recipients continue to receive vital services locally. As of now, the Coney Island office is the only source of comprehensive food stamp services for residents of southern Brooklyn.

“I am very pleased that the City has agreed to do the right thing and maintain this important service in Coney Island,” said Rep. Nadler. “This office serves 28,000 people who rely on food stamps to provide for their families and fill the financial holes deepened by this economic recession. Particularly now, when making ends meet has become especially hard for regular, hard working New Yorkers, it is essential to retain social services for our most vulnerable citizens.”

“New Yorkers are suffering from the worst recession in decades, with many families struggling to put food on the table and food stamp enrollment at an all time high,” said Council Speaker Quinn. “Since I became Speaker, the Council has been working to make sure every New Yorker that qualifies for food stamps has access to those benefits. This Coney Island food stamp office serves over 28,000 New Yorkers, and I’m extremely glad the Administration took our recommendations to heart and agreed to keep its doors open.”

“The loss of this food stamp office would have been devastating to the Coney Island community, and all of southern Brooklyn,” said Councilman Recchia. “A family living in Coney Island would have to travel an hour or more to downtown or central Brooklyn to get food stamps, and that’s just not acceptable. Especially during these tough economic times, we have to ensure proper access to necessary services. I would like to thank the City for meeting with us and recognizing the importance of keeping this office open, and I look forward to working with the City to ensure a more equitable distribution of food stamp offices around Brooklyn.”

“I am very pleased that HRA revisited their decision to close the Coney Island food stamp office,” said Senator Savino. “It is a relief to the constituents and to the workers who would have been adversely affected. In these tough fiscal times, more and more families are having to turn to social safety nets and it is important to have the safety net as large as possible.”

“I am pleased that the City realized that shuttering the Coney Island food stamp office was a misguided attempt at fiscal austerity that would have penalized those most in need of compassionate assistance,” said Senator Kruger. “Now the City must fulfill its obligation to these vulnerable New Yorkers by turning this temporary reprieve into a permanent action.”

“It brings me such joy to know that this vital community asset will be remaining open here in the heart of our community,” said Assemblyman Brook-Krasny. “This center truly brings help to many New Yorkers. As we start getting into the colder part of the year, this food stamp center is the first step in getting warm food to those who need it. I thank all my colleagues, especially Congressman Nadler, who have fought hard to keep this center open.”