Brooklyn parents protest proposed homeless shelter near middle school

Parents, teachers, and local residents in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn protested on Monday night against plans to build a men's homeless shelter. The New York Post reported that the planned facility would hold 200 beds and sit on East 108th Street, one block from Science and Medicine Middle School 366 on East 107th Street. [1]

Protesters and local officials are demanding answers from New York City officials and Mayor Zohran Mamdani regarding the site. According to the New York Post, the shelter is expected to open in 2028. New York City Council member Mercedes Narcisse, who represents the 46th District, joined the protest and criticized the city Department of Social Services. [1]

The controversy comes as the city administration faces broader scrutiny over its shelter system. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Mayor Zohran Mamdani was ordered by a federal judge to comply with a subpoena regarding shelter resident data, while New York Attorney General Letitia James faced criticism over campaign donations from shelter operators. [6][7]

The neighborhood of Canarsie takes its name from the indigenous Lenape band that once inhabited the area. The broader borough of Brooklyn traces its name back to the Dutch colonial settlement of Breuckelen, which was established in 1646. [4]