The women’s shelter, which was converted from a men\u2019s center after massive public pushback, is slated to open around April and will accommodate up to 250 women.<\/p>\n
At a Community Board 8 Manhattan meeting hosted by Housing Solutions of New York (HSNY), opponents sounded alarms over the shelter\u2019s proximity to schools and daycare centers. Residents also accused city officials of deliberately rushing the process to limit community input, fast-tracking a deal they say appears lucrative for developers with little regard for neighborhood well-being.<\/p>\n
The city reportedly told local leaders in early 2025 that the project was indefinitely shelved, only to announce it as an active and nearly completed center in January 2026, leaving the community with just weeks to organize before it opens.<\/p>\n
SMALL NEW YORK LANDLORDS ‘AT THEIR BREAKING POINT’ UNDER MAMDANI’S HOUSING POLICIES: REPORT<\/a><\/p>\n Residents walk the streets in the Carnegie Hill neighborhood of New York June 27, 2023. (Gabby Jones\/Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/p>\n “What we\u2019re offended by is the lack of notification and the wrong location. It shouldn’t be here,” community member Bonnie Barend said, criticizing the site’s suitability.\u00a0<\/p>\n “And I’m also offended by the way you’ve been talking to these great citizens here tonight. They care about their community. They care about your safety, their children\u2019s safety. We shouldn\u2019t be denigrating anyone here.”<\/p>\n In response, city representatives and some locals emphasized the urgent need for homeless services in districts that lack proper resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n To address concerns, the board said the center will include heavy security<\/a>, strict curfews and a ban on residents with specific criminal histories, especially women on probation or parole for sex offenses due to the nearby school.<\/p>\n MAMDANI ANNOUNCES $2.1M SETTLEMENT WITH MAJOR LANDLORD AS TENANTS DESCRIBE ‘NIGHTMARE’ CONDITIONS<\/a><\/p>\n A homeless person sleeps on a New York City street. (Deb Cohn-Orbach\/UCG\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)<\/p>\n However, when HSNY Chief Program Officer Xellex Rivera explained that it only asks newcomers about criminal history, the crowd erupted in outrage, with one resident shouting, “Unacceptable. That is not a background check.”<\/p>\n Rivera responded, “That is fair. I 100% agree with everybody. That is fair.” Rivera added that while it can check sex offender registries, it cannot conduct a full criminal background check<\/a>.<\/p>\n Other residents raised concerns about the shelter\u2019s proximity to a legal cannabis dispensary<\/a> and a Home Depot, arguing that tools sold there could be used as weapons and suggesting that guards should be armed. A local father also cited a recent tragedy at a shelter in Long Island City to highlight potential risks to children.<\/p>\n![\"upper](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/upper-east-side.jpg\")
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