More than a year after daily protests began against a planned homeless shelter in Bensonhurst, local residents and community leaders say they remain committed to opposing the proposal.
A Saturday rally marked the first anniversary of daily protests at the proposed site, located at 2501 86th St. Residents first learned about plans to build the shelter in the fall of 2023, and several protests took place afterwards.
Outrage over plans to build a men's homeless shelter took a turning point when, in the early hours of July 17, 2024, word got around that a demolition was happening at the location, and residents arrived to protest and clashed with police.
Since then, there have been daily vigils at the site, and the people of the neighborhood have no plans to stop.
"I'm trying to ward them off from starting work," said Ma Yu, who said he has been sleeping in his van every night in front of the site for the past 100 nights. "Multiple times, they try to come in at night."
Another local keeping guard at night is Jay, who declined to give his last name for privacy concerns.
"We're hoping they will cancel the plan," said Jay, who thinks building a homeless shelter in the middle of a residential neighborhood is unlawful.
Residents voiced their concerns about having a shelter so close to a senior center and five schools, as the facility is looking to house 150 homeless men, who would also receive substance abuse treatment and mental health counseling services.
Council Member Susan Zhuang, who was arrested for biting a police chief last July while trying to help a woman on the ground as a protest got heated, told BKReader that the city never asked the people what they wanted.
"They never come here and they're not talking to anyone," Zhuang said. "This is an immigrant community and the people made [it] more livable and accessible. It was very quiet. The city should've communicated with us."
Zhuang added that the developer, identified as 86th Street NY LLC on property records, has not responded to her office's phone calls or letters.
State Senator Steve Chan echoed the belief that the city, including Mayor Eric Adams, has been ignoring the community.
"The Mayor is deaf and blind," he said. "He doesn't know what the city wants. We [have] empty NYCHA apartments. He's turning homelessness into a business, and he's helping his business buddies. It doesn't cost that much to help the homeless."
State Assemblymember William Colton said when the city builds shelters, the only people who benefit are the developers and shelter operators.
"Billions of dollars are spent annually in New York City on shelters," Colton said. "Which are no more than warehouses for homeless people that they themselves avoid as much as possible."
State Assemblymember Lester Chang said there are other ways to solve homelessness besides building shelters.
"New York real estate brokers know how to place people," he said. "We need to educate landlords about vouchers."
The rally was attended by hundreds of area residents, some waving the American flag and holding signs denouncing the planned shelter. Cars going by frequently honked their horns in solidarity.
Various community leaders, who spoke to the crowd in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, asked the crowd to keep fighting against the proposed shelter.
"We will still fight," said Zhuang. "People must work together and fight together."
