Permits filed for Bay Ridge homeless men’s shelter

Plans sparked protests last year

Updates have been provided on a proposed homeless shelter on the site of an unused one-story commercial building at 6530 Fourth Ave. 

According to New York YIMBY, permits were filed for a seven-story shelter. The proposed 80-foot-tall development will also have 8,915 square feet designated for community facility space.

The city’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS) said the building would house 105 homeless men who are either working or searching for employment.

DHS said that the opening date is contingent on construction timelines and approvals from the city and state.

“We remain committed to equitably siting shelters across the five boroughs, which necessarily entails prioritizing the creation of new facilities in communities without any shelter resources, like this Council district,” a DHS spokesperson told this paper. 

“This ensures that we are able to bring much-needed capacity online while also enhancing the services available for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness in these neighborhoods. This new, high-quality transitional housing facility will be operated by our experienced not-for-profit provider, Volunteers of America, and serve individuals who are currently employed or seeking employment, offering on-site employment training and supports to help these clients find work, increase their earning potential, and become financially independent,” he spokesperson  said.

Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann first announced the plans during a board meeting in November 2023.

Several protests were held outside Councilmember Justin Brannan’s office. After one in January 2024, Brannan and several others said they had heard the new building would be for veterans, the Eagle reported. Brannan said, “These brave men should be welcomed with open arms, not angry protests,” However, the email DHS sent to this newspaper this past Tuesday, describing the project, only referred to “105 men,” not to veterans.

In another protest, in May 2024, protesters reportedly objected to the fact that the shelter would be near the High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology as well as I.S. 30, among other things. More than half of those at the rally lived in the nearby Bay Ridge Towers, the Eagle reported.

On April 22 of this year, Beckmann said during a monthly meeting that her office had received many phone calls about the shelter since YIMBY’s report.

“As you recall, Community Board 10 was notified by the Department of Social Services back in November 2023, at which time staff indicated that a request for a meeting was premature as it was in the preliminary planning stages,” she said. “Since we’ve had a few additional calls and there have been some permits that were approved by the Department of Buildings, we have also submitted a new request for an update meeting from the agency.”

The DHS said it will establish a community advisory board to hold regular meetings and maintain direct lines of communication between staff, including on-site security, and communities.

On-site services provided by Volunteers of America will include case management, individual and group counseling, planning, housing placement assistance, referrals to medical and mental health services, support groups, independent living and life skills workshops, residential services, vocational counseling, referrals to job training, and help in finding and securing employment.

The group will provide on-site security around the clock utilizing both contracted security staff and residential staff. Two security officers and at least three Volunteers of America staffers will be on site at all times.

“As with every DHS facility, maintaining a safe and secure environment is paramount, and we remain committed to maintaining open lines of communication with the community and addressing concerns as they arise,” the DHS spokesperson said.