Thousands flood City Hall steps to oppose proposed Brooklyn homeless shelter

More than 2,000 New Yorkers incensed over the city’s plan to build a homeless shelter in their south-central Brooklyn neighborhood descended on City Hall Thursday to voice their opposition to the proposal.

The residents, many brandishing signs and American flags, expressed fears the planned 32-room shelter — designed to accommodate up to 150 adult men — will become a magnet for drugs, crime and other trouble when it opens later this year.

“They are dangerous and they always walk around and just come into the store and grab things without saying anything, and you don’t know if they have mental problems,” Susan Zhou, 35, a local pharmacy worker told The Post.

“They’ll be walking on the street and hit people. They can hit you for no reason, it’s so dangerous.”

Leading the efforts were Assemblyman William Colton (D-47), and Councilmember Susan Zhuang (D-43), opponents of the plan who organized the rally, which grew so massive it spilled over into City Hall Park.

metro, us news, brooklyn, city council, city hall, homeless shelters, homelessness, protests, thousands flood city hall steps to oppose proposed brooklyn homeless shelter

More than 2,000 residents jammed the steps of City Hall in Manhattan Thursday morning to voice their opposition to a proposed homeless shelter in Gravesend, joined by elected officials. Haley Brown / NY Post

The new shelter being proposed for 2501 86th St. and 25th Avenue in Gravesend would be constructed as a hotel, complete with a community center, and then contracted by the city, Zhuang said.

Zhuang contends that the city jammed the plan through without consulting its neighbors.

“The city wants to put it in our community without talking to us. Without giving us any information. They just want to do whatever they want.” Zhuang said.

A NYC Department of Social Services spokesperson denied Zhuang’s claim in a statement to The Post, saying that they first notified the community in November, 2023.

“As we have always done, we will continue to maintain open lines of communication
with the community and remain committed to ongoing engagement as we work collaboratively to support our neighbors in need,” the statement read in part.

Colton said putting the homeless shelter in the neighborhood would be bad policy.

“I don’t want to hear arguments about how, ‘oh we have to share everything in the city.’ You don’t share evil things. You don’t share bad policies. You change them. You stop them and you change them,” he said.

Colton said the developer of the property, who he identified as Tejpal Sandhu of 86th Street NY LLC, was working with the city strictly to line his pockets with no regard for the community.

“He is simply making money for himself. He has proven again and again that he disrespects the community. He disrespects the Building Department.”

The two lawmakers — joined by throngs of neighbors and demonstrators — previously rallied against the shelter plan in March. A petition against the project has already garnered more than 60,000 signatures.

Zhuang and Colton both called the shelter a “human warehouse” that only serves as a band-aid on the city’s homelessness crisis.

“We need mental healthcare, we don’t need warehousing,” Zhuang said.

Councilmember Bob Holden (D-30), who also opposes the proposal, saw the effects in his district first-hand when the city erected a 200-bed homeless shelter residents didn’t want under former Mayor Bill De Blasio.

metro, us news, brooklyn, city council, city hall, homeless shelters, homelessness, protests, thousands flood city hall steps to oppose proposed brooklyn homeless shelter

Protesters lined the sidewalks as they marched to City Hall, the crowd growing so large it spilled into nearby City Hall Park. Haley Brown / NY Post

“It’s a one-building crime wave,” Holden said of the shelter at 78-16 Cooper Ave. in Queens.

Residents at the rally told The Post they, worried the shelter would negatively impact the neighborhood while failing to address the needs of the homeless population.

“It’s a thriving community,” said Vinny Laporta, an Italian American who has lived in the community for 65 years.

“We don’t need a homeless shelter, we need more affordable housing. That shelter is in a congested area, four train stops, five bus stops, schools and churches. It would do harm to the homeless and the community,” Laporta said.

“You gotta stay conscious for your city.”

Assemblyman Colton and Councilmember Zhuang said that although there is a stop work order in place on the property, Sandhu has “been caught” attempting to do work on a portion of city-owned sidewalk without the appropriate permits.

These alleged incidents occurred right as Lunar New Year began, and on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath, when construction work is generally prohibited. Both times, the officials said, he was thwarted “thanks to the vigilance of the community.”

Sandhu could not be reached for comment by phone or email.

OTHER NEWS

22 minutes ago

William grins at King's Pokemon joke

22 minutes ago

US election body gives Trump another 45 days for personal financial disclosures

22 minutes ago

Forza Horizon 4 is being removed from sale because of expiring licenses, but at least it'll keep running after it's gone

26 minutes ago

Pharmacy Guild ‘blindsided’ by Labor-Greens deal on vapes

26 minutes ago

Why electric vehicle prices are falling

26 minutes ago

Seven Potential Klay Thompson Destinations in NBA Free Agency

26 minutes ago

Nine Australians locked in to compete in tennis at the Paris Olympics

28 minutes ago

WikiLeaks' founder Assange pleads guilty in deal with US that secures his freedom, ends legal fight

28 minutes ago

Video: Love Island villa is shaken by the arrival of TWO new bombshells as they each pick one person to date

28 minutes ago

Video: Love Island villa is shaken by the arrival of TWO new bombshells as they each pick one person to date

31 minutes ago

David Warner posts a beery photo after his last game for Australia - but it's NOTHING like what you'd expect - as wife Candice has a very surprising reaction

31 minutes ago

Kingdom Hearts, As Told By Steam Reviews

31 minutes ago

England vs Slovenia player ratings: Jude Bellingham and Conor Gallagher disappoint at Euro 2024

32 minutes ago

Superstar Calvin Harris is Coming to Bahrain on This Date!

32 minutes ago

Austria beat Netherlands in five-goal Euro 2024 thriller to top Group D

32 minutes ago

Rocky Mountain tourist learns the hard way not to get between a mother bear and her cubs

32 minutes ago

Creative Overwatch 2 Fan Comes Up With Baldur's Gate 3 Skin Concepts

32 minutes ago

Life By You is Canceled, But Another Sims Competitor is Still Coming

32 minutes ago

Afghanistan in T20 World Cup semifinal: A real fairy tale?

32 minutes ago

Eagles' Brandon Graham happy Saquon Barkley joined team, says losing star RB 'sucked for the Giants fans'

33 minutes ago

Watch: San Diego Zoo celebrates birth of endangered Baird's tapir

33 minutes ago

Why the Netherlands wear orange whilst playing football

33 minutes ago

Elden Ring Fan Creates Incredible Acrylic Painting of The Lands Between

33 minutes ago

England 0-0 Slovenia: player ratings from the Euro 2024 Group C game

33 minutes ago

Cups thrown at England manager Gareth Southgate after 0-0 draw with Slovenia

33 minutes ago

Airplane suddenly drops 25,000 feet midflight, injuring 17 passengers

34 minutes ago

Asia-Pacific markets mostly lower ahead of Australia's May inflation figures

34 minutes ago

After losing home, family hopes for historic café’s survival as Rapidan Dam collapse looms

36 minutes ago

Attractions work on affordability to draw staycationing Calgarians this summer

38 minutes ago

Video: Lemurs in the wild serenade each other with a distinct rhythm, study finds - suggesting the ability to sing evolved early in primates

39 minutes ago

Joe and Jill Biden refinanced their Delaware home 20 times — raking in $4.2M from the $350K property

39 minutes ago

Boxing-Usyk vacates IBF heavyweight title

39 minutes ago

FTX customers to vote on multi-billion dollar repayment plan

39 minutes ago

New footage of Adelaide Westfield shopping centre incident emerges

39 minutes ago

Lytton, B.C., rebuild continues three years after wildfire destroyed most of town

39 minutes ago

Report: Dallas Cowboys’ Stephen Jones Is ‘Pulling’ Jerry Jones Back From Going All-In On Free Agency

39 minutes ago

‘We’re confident’: Not over yet for Cats great

39 minutes ago

Anti-Labour placards backfire for the Green Party

39 minutes ago

Millionaire residents fury that town has turned into dumping ground

39 minutes ago

Bears D-line gets poor ranking ahead of 2024 season