Community concerned over proposed shelter next to school in Manhattan: 'I'm afraid for our kids'
LOWER MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- A proposed homeless shelter located right next to a school in Manhattan has sparked outrage from concerned residents, and parents of students.
"I'm horrified. I really am. I'm afraid for our kids," said resident Johanna Jefferson.
"Location that doesn't make a lot of sense," said parent Jason Friedman. "If you're touching a school this type of place is not the right site."
This is a taste of the furious opposition to a proposed homeless shelter in Lower Manhattan.
Parents and residents are seething mad. They say it's too close to their children's school.
"They can house sex offenders here as long as they're not on parole or probation," said parent Peggie Bilse.
The proposed Safe Haven shelter at 320 Peck St. would be a low barrier facility, which specializes in getting the most resistant unsheltered homeless off the street.
While that's often more appealing, parents say that's the issue. They say it imposes fewer requirements and mandates.
"There's no curfew. They're free to come and go," said parent Anthony Hannigan. "They're not allowed to use drugs on site so where are they going to go to use it?"
Hannigan says he moved here to put his two kids into The Peck Slip School, but he says if this shelter opens next door, he's pulling them out and moving.
"This is the first step to getting someone off the street," Hannigan said. "And so, all of the community, all of the parents agree that these types of shelters and locations need to be provided, but to put it directly next to the entrance of where kids her age are going to line up to go to school just doesn't make sense."
Even though the sign on one door to the school says emergency exit, parents say that's not the case. They say young children enter and exit out of the door a mere 25 feet from the shelter's entrance.
On an average day when parents pick their kids, there's a line next to the shelter site.
"They take these police barriers and block off this end of the street and they block off that end down by the red bus," said resident Phil Hayes. "And this is their recess area. This is the playground. And pan back you're what, 50 something feet from the entrance of the shelter."
A spokesperson for the city's Department of Social Services released a statement.
"Security officers will be located at the entrance to control building access and monitor security cameras, which will be located throughout the building and grounds. There will be a minimum of six security staff on-site per shift," the spokesperson said. "The majority of people who will utilize this facility are already living unsheltered in the area... so this will get them off the streets and inside."
Some parents say they aren't buying that.
"They did mention that they would happen to maybe grab some people off the street that live in the area to help the community but that wasn't their initial thing," said parent Kenny Grant. "I think they're throwing that in there to kind of quiet folks down."
But parents and residents are not staying quiet.
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