Pelham Bay community raise concerns about possible homeless shelter
People who live in Pelham Bay are speaking out against a possible homeless shelter that could be coming to their neighborhood.
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People who live in Pelham Bay are concerned about a possible homeless shelter that could be coming to their neighborhood.
The proposed site is at 3251 Westchester Ave., which is a vacant storefront near the Pelham Bay Park 6 train station. Community members say the area already has several shelters and worry another one would be too much of a burden for the neighborhood.
“There should not be a homeless shelter over here. There’s already too many,” said Matthew Santiago, who lives nearby.
Some people said they feel for those in need, but think a shelter is not the right fit for this location. Others said they fear their property value will go down and that the shelter would negatively impact the residential, family-oriented neighborhood.
News 12 spoke with a man who says he started a petition calling for more transparency with the community. It currently has more than 1,000 signatures, and thousands of flyers have been handed out in the community, urging residents to contact local elected officials.
According to the Department of Buildings' website, an application has been filed at that address for a five-story building labeled “shelter,” but it has not been accepted and no permits have been issued.
Sources with the Department of Social Services say the community is notified once a project is finalized and approved, and details cannot be shared before then.
Council Member Shirley Aldebol responded with the following statement:
“I believe that the Pelham Bay community within my Council District should not be considered for a proposed shelter. There is already a single adult men’s shelter only a couple of blocks away, and placing a shelter facility here will place an undue burden on the residents of this community. I understand why there is a need to have shelter facilities in varying areas across the city, but the placement should be more purposeful and should not put undue burden on a specific neighborhood. The city needs to focus on the creation of more affordable housing units and pathways to homeownership rather than increase the amount of shelters we have.”
