Residents, lawmakers protest at site of controversial homeless shelter in Brooklyn
BENSONHURST, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Tensions are boiling over in Brooklyn with construction on a controversial homeless shelter set to begin this week in Bensonhurst.
The plan has been at the center of a years-long battle, pitting city leaders against community members who fear for the safety of their neighborhood.
Protesters are also angry with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and say he hasn't met with the community and there has been no dialogue with City Hall. They say they feel unheard.
A furious crowd gathered around 8 p.m. Sunday and remained until midnight, with many chanting together in an effort to be heard and push back against a shelter expected to serve 150 homeless men.
Police in riot gear were called in for crowd control and one person was arrested.
On Monday morning, angry neighbors were fired up once again, calling on Mayor Mamdani to shut down construction at the site near 86th Street and 25th Avenue.
Those opposed to the the shelter have cited its proximity to a transportation hub and areas frequented by mothers, children and the elderly -- and have raised concerns it could bring with it drugs and crime.
"I have been here for over 30 years and I got attacked by the homeless, homeless people," said protester Melissa Yu. "My dad...he's over 90, he's walking in this neighborhood and he got spit on by the homeless people."
Mamdani said later Monday morning that demolition at the site will begin this week. Construction on the shelter is expected to be completed by 2027.
The site was the scene of another protest in July 2024 when Councilwoman Susan Zhuang allegedly bit an officer.
The charges against her were later dropped. She said Monday she is not giving up her fight against the proposed men's shelter and it's not the right place for it for several reasons.
"Our office reached out to the mayor's office multiple times and we want to talk with them to find out another site or plan, whatever works for the community, and also we want to help the homeless, this community wants to help the homeless people because we think the rich developer tried to make the money off of those homeless people, they need help," Zhuang said. "But the issue is we've reached out to the administration to try to find the solution together but they refuse to talk to us."
Zhuang said what the community needs instead is affordable housing. She said it's not just about one shelter, it's about whether the administration is serious about affordability.
A City Hall spokesperson said, "Homelessness exists in every part of our city, and in order to effectively address this citywide crisis, we must tackle it across the five boroughs. This forthcoming facility will be the first shelter site in this district."
The shelter was proposed during the Adams administration.
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