A 32-year-old man was stabbed inside a supportive housing building on Sackett Street in Gowanus late Tuesday night, leaving tenants rattled and the block buzzing with police activity. He was slashed in the face, neck and chest and taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where police said he is expected to recover. In the aftermath, several residents told reporters the violence has them rethinking whether they want to stay in the building at all.
Neighbors And Police Describe The Scene
Investigators said the stabbing happened just before 11:35 p.m., after what they described as a fight between two residents, according to News 12. Video published by the outlet showed emergency crews filling the street, lights flashing across Sackett as officers combed the area. A witness told News 12 that the person who took off after the attack was last seen in a black hooded sweatshirt. Resident Keith Truxlerbey said he no longer feels safe in the building and plans to move out.
Supportive Housing And Local Development
The Sackett Street building sits in a pocket of Gowanus that city planners have tagged for mixed-use growth, including supportive housing at the Gowanus Green site and a men's facility listed at 601 Sackett Street. Those projects were laid out as part of a broader effort to bring in more affordable units tied to on-site services as the neighborhood undergoes rapid redevelopment, according to the NYC Department of City Planning.
Experts Say Services And Management Matter
Supportive housing advocates point to years of research showing that permanent supportive housing improves residents' housing stability and can cut back on costly emergency-system use. At the same time, they are quick to say that outcomes hinge on strong on-site services, staffing and conflict prevention. The Corporation for Supportive Housing highlights evidence that well-run permanent supportive housing "promotes safe, thriving communities," while a National Academies review stresses the need for close monitoring and tailored services to manage health and safety risks. For tenants and neighbors in Gowanus, Tuesday night's stabbing has put those implementation questions front and center and fueled calls for quicker action from providers and city agencies.
