Parents in Brooklyn’s Canarsie neighborhood are pressing New York City officials and Mayor Zohran Mamdani for answers about a proposed 200-bed men’s homeless shelter planned just one block from a local middle school.
Teachers, families and community members gathered Monday night to protest the shelter, which is expected to open in 2028 on East 108th Street, near Science and Medicine Middle School 366 on East 107th Street.
New York City Council member Mercedes Narcisse, who represents the 46th District, joined the demonstration and sharply criticized the city’s Department of Social Services, according to News 12 Brooklyn.
“You want to put it next to a school — a middle school for God’s sake! These are our children! Shame!” Narcisse said.
Narcisse said the DSS notified her about the proposal last week but did not ask for her input, despite her role representing the affected community.
News 12 Brooklyn reported that the Canarsie facility is part of a larger city initiative to establish 12 new homeless shelters, including three locations in Brooklyn.
Narcisse has asked to meet with the DSS commissioner Thursday to address residents’ concerns. Protesters, however, are urging Mayor Mamdani to attend the meeting himself.
MUST READ: Nine Ineos Blunders at Man United Raise Fears Over Carrick Successor
“I asked for the commissioner, but now, my community says the mayor,” Narcisse said.
DSS confirmed that additional shelters are planned throughout New York City and said community involvement is built into the site-selection process.
“Notifying elected officials and community boards is a part of the public process around siting new shelters. Notification is the beginning of a process that includes opportunity for community engagement,” DSS told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital contacted Science and Medicine Middle School 366, Narcisse’s office and Mamdani’s office for comment, but none had responded at the time of publication.
The Canarsie protest comes amid a series of demonstrations around New York City over proposed men’s homeless shelters. Residents have repeatedly argued that officials are not providing enough community input before moving forward.
In July, the New York Post reported that the city transferred 110 single homeless men into a former family shelter in Brooklyn. The report said the Department of Homeless Services did not conduct criminal background checks on the men before the move.