Google Maps
A petition opposing a potential homeless shelter at the corner of East 89th Street and Third Avenue has gathered more than 3,000 signatures in about two weeks, as Yorkville residents press city officials to pause the proposal and require a full public review before any approval moves forward.
Advertisement
The petition, launched on May 16 on Change.org by Jon Goldman, identifies the potential sites as 1587 Third Avenue and possibly the adjacent 1585 Third Avenue. It states that the application submitted to the city’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is reportedly for a facility serving men with substance abuse illnesses.Signers argue the proposed location sits in one of Manhattan’s most densely populated residential corridors, surrounded by schools, youth facilities, and pedestrian routes used daily by young children, seniors, and families with strollers. The petition also points to existing shelters and supportive housing already clustered nearby, and raises concerns about building safety conditions at the properties involved.
“We are not opposing housing or services for vulnerable New Yorkers,” the petition reads. “We are demanding something more basic: responsible placement and transparency.”
The petition is addressed to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, City Council Speaker Julie Menin, DHS, the Department of Social Services, and Manhattan Community Board 8 (CB8). Its demands include halting any approval pending review, holding a public hearing before CB8 with advance notice, requiring a formal DHS community impact assessment, and disclosing whether a formal application has been filed and its current status.
Advertisement
A DHS spokesperson, responding to an inquiry from East Side Feed, confirmed that a proposal for a shelter facility at the location has been submitted via the agency’s open-ended RFP but said it remains under consideration. The agency is continually accepting and reviewing shelter proposals from not-for-profit providers, the spokesperson said, weighing each for viability, quality, and overall need.“When a final determination is made, we notify community stakeholders (electeds/community board) ahead of the projected opening — typically several months if not years in advance — about the project (population served, capacity, timeline, etc.),” the spokesperson said. No such notification is made, the spokesperson added, before all necessary evaluations and negotiations are complete.
Have a news tip? Send it to us here!
