Hundreds rally against planned homeless shelter in Brooklyn's Borough Park
Hundreds of members of Borough Park's Orthodox Jewish community rallied side-by-side with neighbors from the Asian-American community Thursday to protest New York City's plans to open a homeless shelter.
The city notified the community on Jan. 13 about its plan for a shelter across two neighboring buildings at 500 110th Ave. and 1016 50th St., and it is expected to open later this year.
Borough Park residents fear rise in crime if homeless shelter opens
Many oppose the plan, fearing an increase in crime.
"Most of the people here own homes here, and this would be a terrible disaster if this is going to happen," said Henry Brander, who has lived in the neighborhood for decades.
"We're in the middle of a residential neighborhood near the day care, schools, senior centers," said Queenie Yu, who lives a few blocks away on Eighth Avenue.
Though far outnumbered, Alec Shea, who lives nearby, stood with a sign expressing his support for the plan.
"We have children and families that are homeless. Every neighborhood, including the one I live in, should do its part to deal with this crisis," he told CBS News New York's Hannah Kliger.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeless Services responded with the following statement:
"This new facility will be the first DHS shelter of any kind in this Council District, and we look forward to working with our not-for-profit provider-partner Midway Living to provide critical supports and services to families with children who have fallen on hard times. This site will serve up to 82 families, providing them the opportunity to stabilize their lives, connect with services, and ultimately transition to permanent housing."
Homeless shelter expected to play factor in City Council election
The neighborhood is within the 44th City Council District, which was vacated by Kalman Yager after he won his race for New York State Assembly. The seat is empty until an upcoming special election on March 25.
Many believe this can be a decisive issue in the way the community votes.
"It's terrible that we don't have representation. But on the other hand, if you have improper representation it's worse than not having representation," said Joseph, a local father who lives a block away.
"We expect our elected officials to stop and to listen to our voice," said Pearl R., a longtime resident.
DHS says the agency intends to keep open lines of communication with the community to address concerns as they arise.
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