Survey Finds Large Support For Mayor's Homeless Shelter Plan

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to open 90 new homeless shelters across New York City over the next five years has been the subject of heated public meetings, neighborhood protests and two lawsuits from angry neighbors.

But his proposal draws about two-to-one support from New Yorkers, according to a recent survey. Sixty-one percent of people say the mayor's plan is a "good idea," compared to 29 percent who say it's a bad one, according to the New York 1/Baruch College poll.

Another nine percent said they weren't sure. It's unclear how many people were surveyed, but the poll had a 3.5-percentage point margin of error.

"New Yorkers are compassionate people and have a long history of lending a helping hand, so it’s no surprise they agree with our borough-based plan to help our homeless neighbors get back on their feet closer to support networks and home communities," Jaclyn Rothenberg, a spokeswoman for de Blasio, told Patch in an email. "It’s that supportive spirit that will help us turn the tide on homelessness."

Patch has also reached out to the Department of Homeless Services for comment, and we'll update this story if we hear back.

They mayor has so far announced sites for five of those 90 shelters under the plan, which seeks to completely end the use of "cluster" and hotel sites. Three locations — two in the Bronx and one in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn — have opened without incident. The other two, both in Crown Heights, have had the opposite experience.

One shelter, for senior men in the northern part of the neighborhood, just opened after a two-month legal battle with residents who said their neighborhood was unfairly oversaturated with shelters.

Another shelter, for families in southern Crown Heights, opened last Monday, May 15, when 10 families moved in. But a group of neighbors sued the following day, and a judge barred any more families from moving in until at least early June.

Both groups who sued the city said a plan to end homelessness should focus on permanent, affordable housing and not temporary shelters.

Officials in the Park Slope-area are hoping to avoid similar dust-ups. City Councilman Brad Lander said he is working with the neighborhood community board and city officials to "proactively" scout shelter sites instead of responding to a proposal from the city.

Images via Marc Torrence, Patch