NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Chaos and fury erupted Monday in New York City\u2019s affluent Upper East Side, as residents packed a public meeting in protest of a planned homeless shelter<\/a> they said “reeks of a for-profit intent.”<\/p>\n The women’s shelter, which was converted from a men\u2019s facility following massive public pushback, is slated to open around April and will accommodate up to 250 women.<\/p>\n At a Community Board 8 Manhattan meeting hosted by Housing Solutions of New York (HSNY), opponents sounded alarms over the shelter\u2019s proximity to schools and daycares. Residents also accused city officials of deliberately rushing the process to limit community input, fast-tracking a deal they say appears lucrative for developers with little regard for neighborhood well-being.<\/p>\n The city reportedly told local leaders in early 2025 that the project was indefinitely shelved, only to reannounce it as an active and nearly completed facility in January 2026, leaving the community with just weeks to organize before it opens.<\/p>\n SMALL NEW YORK LANDLORDS ‘AT THEIR BREAKING POINT’ UNDER MAMDANI’S HOUSING POLICIES: REPORT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Residents walk across the streets in the Carnegie Hill neighborhood of New York, US, on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.<\/span> (Gabby Jones\/Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “What we\u2019re offended by is the lack of notification and the wrong location. It shouldn’t be here,” community member Bonnie Barend said, criticizing the site’s suitability.\u00a0<\/p>\n “And I’m also offended by the way you’ve been talking to these great citizens here tonight. They care about their community. They care about your safety, their children\u2019s safety. We shouldn\u2019t be denigrating anyone here.”<\/p>\n In response, city representatives and some locals emphasized the urgent need for homeless services in districts that lack proper resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n To address concerns, the board said the facility will feature heavy security<\/a>, strict curfews, and a ban on residents with specific criminal histories, especially women on probation or parole for sex offenses due to the nearby school.<\/p>\n MAMDANI ANNOUNCES $2.1M SETTLEMENT WITH MAJOR LANDLORD AS TENANTS DESCRIBE ‘NIGHTMARE’ CONDITIONS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n A homeless person sleeps on a New York City street alongside their possessions.<\/span> (Deb Cohn-Orbach\/UCG\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n However, when HSNY Chief Program Officer Dr. Xellex Rivera explained that they only ask newcomers about their criminal history, the crowd erupted in outrage, with one resident shouting, “Unacceptable! That is not a background check.”<\/p>\n Rivera responded, “That is fair. I 100% agree with everybody. That is fair,” adding that while they can check sex offender registries, they cannot conduct a full criminal background check<\/a>.<\/p>\n Other residents raised concerns about the shelter\u2019s proximity to a legal cannabis dispensary<\/a> and a Home Depot, arguing that tools sold there could be used as weapons and suggesting that guards should be armed. A local father also cited a recent tragedy at a shelter in Long Island City to highlight potential risks to children.<\/p>\n![\"upper](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/upper-east-side.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n![\"homeless](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/homeless-new-york-city.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
![\"homeless](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/homeless-new-york-city-2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n