Rally held to oppose 50th Street homeless shelters

Following news on the city’s plans to bring homeless shelters to apartment buildings at 5001 10th Ave. and 1016 50th St. later this year, hundreds of protesters held a rally March 13 to make it clear they reject the proposal.

The group gathered at the corner of 10th Avenue and 50th Street, with many holding several signs. One read, “Homeless people need shelter, but here is not the place.” Another read, “Keep our streets safe. Keep shelters away.”

Assemblymember Lester Chang opposes the plan and claims that residents didn’t receive any real community input and demands city officials reconsider the location.

“The residents of Borough Park deserve transparency, fairness and a say in decisions that impact their community,” he said. “This shelter proposal was pushed through without public input, raising serious concerns about safety, infrastructure and the overall well-being of our people.”

A spokesperson for the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) said the shelters will be the first DHS shelter of any kind in this council district.

It is planned to be operated by not-for-profit provider Midway Living and will house up to 82 families. There will be 300 total residents, 100 adults and 200 children.

“As always, we are committed to maintaining open lines of communication with the community, addressing concerns as they arise, and working collaboratively to support our neighbors as they work to get back on their feet,” a DHS spokesperson said. 

However, protesters said they were concerned about a potential increase in crime.

“Most of the people here own homes here, and this would be a terrible disaster if this is going to happen,” local resident Henry Brander told CBS 2 News.

DHS said that Midway Living will provide on-site security around the clock with a team of 51 security staff. Security officers will be located at the entrance to control building access and to monitor security cameras, which will be located throughout the building and grounds. There will also be at least 10 security staff per shift, with one supervisor overseeing security staff per shift.  
“We stand united in protecting the integrity of our neighborhood,” Chang said. “Our community is compassionate, but we will not allow reckless policies to jeopardize the safety of our children, businesses and institutions. There must be a better plan that considers the concerns of residents.”

Since 2023, protests have regularly been held outside a 25th Avenue and 86th Street building that is being built into a homeless shelter, with residents voicing similar complaints.