Residents protest against homeless shelter proposed for Bensonhurst neighborhood

Neighbors protested Sunday after the city announced plans to build a homeless shelter on their block in Bensonhurst.

News 12 Staff

Nov 21, 2021, 10:56 PM

Updated 1,118 days ago

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Neighbors protested Sunday after the city announced plans to build a homeless shelter on their block in Bensonhurst.
Assemblyman William Colton says when he found out about the proposal, he alerted the neighborhood.
More than 50 people gathered at the corner of West 13th Street and Kings Highway, which is right across the street from the Brooklyn Public Library. Residents tell News 12 that they're also close to schools.
The New York City Department of Social Services notified Colton that Homelife, a nonprofit social services provider, would be in charge of building the shelter.
While protesters say that they do want to help the homeless, they do not believe this is the area to do it.
The city plans to have the shelter up and running by 2024, but Colton has started a petition and plans to rally with concerned neighbors in order to stop its opening.
News 12 reached out to the Department of Social Services and Homelife and they responded with a statement saying, “New Yorkers can and do experience homelessness in every community across the five boroughs, and now more than ever, we need every community to come together to address homelessness. As we implement our borough-based approach, we are committed to ensuring that, over time, shelters are distributed equitably to meet the need in all five boroughs."