Hell-ter $helter

Evicts loom – because city hasn’t paid rent

Nearly 70 families are on the brink of eviction from their Brooklyn shelter — because the city hasn’t paid rent on the property in eight months.

A Civil Court judge sent a letter last week to Human Resources Administration Commissioner Steven Banks and chief contracting officer Vincent Pullo, pleading with the agency to make a minimum payment of the more than $1.3 million it owes the landlord.

“This correspondence is an urgent request to both of you as officers of NYC Human Resources to issue immediate payment for undisputed charges that have been incurred . . . to avoid the imminent eviction of these venerable [sic] New Yorkers, already in distress,” wrote Brooklyn Civil Court Justice Harriet Thompson.

Building owner Avi Shriki told The Post that the city stopped paying the provider of social services at the site, Bushwick Economic Develop- ment Corp., which in turn ended its payments for rent and utilities.

The lawsuit is part of years-long litigation between Shriki’s firm, ENY Plaza LLC, and BEDCO.

The city announced last year it was phasing out all of its homeless hotel and scattered apartment contracts with BEDCO because of performance issues.

Shriki said BEDCO has been providing services at the Crown Heights building, which houses many single parents with children, since 2009.

He said that payment issues have continued over the years, but that the current debt of more than $1.3 million is putting his mortgage in jeopardy.

“We have to pay our mortgage every month. But if you’re not paying us for eight months, we’re carrying the city. Imagine not paying taxes to the city for that long — you’d be penalized like crazy,” Shriki said.

HRA spokesman Isaac McGinn said BEDCO isn’t cooperating “to get the contract registered” and the situation is being monitored.