Parents Protest 200-Bed Homeless Men’s Shelter Planned One Block from a Brooklyn Middle School

Parents in Brooklyn's Canarsie neighbourhood are demanding answers from New York City officials and Mayor Zohran Mamdani over plans to build a 200-bed men's homeless shelter just one block from a local middle school.

Parents, teachers and other residents protested on Monday night against plans for the 200-bed shelter on East 108th Street, which is expected to open in 2028, one block from the Science and Medicine Middle School 366 on East 107th Street.

Among the protesters was New York City Council member Mercedes Narcisse, who represents the 46th District and criticised the city’s Department of Social Services (DSS) in comments reported by News 12 Brooklyn.

Narcisse said the city wanted to put the shelter next to a school — a middle school — and, calling the children theirs, described the plan as a shame.

Narcisse said DSS informed her about the proposed shelter last week but had not sought her input, even though she represents the neighbourhood.

According to News 12 Brooklyn, the upcoming shelter is part of a broader citywide plan to open 12 new shelters, including three in Brooklyn.

Narcisse has requested a meeting with the DSS commissioner for Thursday to discuss residents’ concerns. However, many protesters are calling for Mayor Zohran Mamdani to attend, and Narcisse said she had asked for the commissioner but her community now wanted the mayor.

DSS confirmed plans to construct more shelters across the city and emphasised community engagement as part of the process. DSS told Fox News Digital that notifying elected officials and community boards is part of the public process around siting new shelters, and that notification is the beginning of a process that includes an opportunity for community engagement.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Science and Medicine Middle School 366, Narcisse’s office and Mamdani’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The protest follows other demonstrations across New York City over plans to open men’s homeless shelters, with residents criticising what they say is a lack of community input.

In July, the New York Post reported that the city moved 110 single homeless men into a former family shelter in Brooklyn. According to that report, the city’s Department of Homeless Services did not conduct criminal background checks on the men before the relocation.