Residents of the Upper East Side gathered Monday night to express concern, anger and confusion about a place planned for homeless women coming to their neighborhood.
Community Board 8 first announced plans for the 200-bed men’s shelter in late January. The facility on First Avenue will open in March and will be operated by Housing Solutions of New York. The announcement sparked a massive backlash and a petition with over 5,000 signatures.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who represents the Upper East Side, announced last week that the shelter will accept women and open in April.
“From the beginning, my priority has been to ensure that our region meets its responsibility to address homelessness in a way that will help those in need,” said Menin in a statement sent to the media. “Women experiencing housing insecurity face security and stability challenges, and this area is well positioned to provide them with safe housing and comprehensive support.”
The shelter, Restore Hope Women’s Shelter, will be the first nine-month temporary housing for single women in Manhattan’s 5th Council District. Menin’s statement pointed to another long-standing shelter for women with mental health issues on Park Avenue, which “has been a successful part of the area for many years.”
His district across the Upper East Side has a household income of $165,280, or about 108% above the citywide median, according to the NYU Furman Center. Its poverty rate of 6.1% as of 2023 is well below the citywide rate of 18.2%.
“This future temporary housing center will bring essential resources and dedicated services to a council area that currently contains limited housing,” said a DHS spokesperson in a statement shared with The Post, noting that Council District 5 has few shelter services and no traditional shelters for single adults.
Angry locals gathered at Rockefeller University auditorium Monday night to protest the plan, complaining about security and a lack of transparency in the planning process.
The host for the evening, Chair of Community Board 8, Valerie Mason, informed the gathered crowd that the meeting would be a listen and answer session. Presentations are heard from the New York City Department of Homeless Services, New York Housing Solutions and the site’s security detail, Elite Investigations.
The meeting quickly descended into shouting and heated discussion on both sides of the speaker, with Mason encouraging constructive discussion and “not a time for bullying.”
“We’re not being asked to do anything the community hasn’t been asked to do,” Mason said.
One resident expressed concern that the shelter is across the street from Home Depot, where they sell knives, tools, hammers and brooms.
“Any tool becomes a weapon if it is handled correctly,” said the resident, adding that shelter guards must be armed.
A local father of two young children spoke out about the recent death of a 2-year-old child after an alleged assault at a Long Island City shelter.
“I want you to put yourself in your parents’ shoes,” she said. “As someone who has voted Democrat my whole life. It is beyond disappointing to see this type of decision-making pattern seem to be growing rapidly under this Mayor.”
“What makes us sad is the lack of notice and the wrong place,” said a resident of 58th Street. “It shouldn’t be here.”
The shelter’s location near many schools, kindergartens and a marijuana dispensary was questioned. More than one resident voiced their support for the shelter, however.
“Let’s not forget, someone died on our streets two weeks ago,” said one supporter, apparently referring to the death of a man who was found unconscious on First Avenue during a snowstorm last month.
Many residents were shocked and protested the lack of public notice and open approval.
“We are committed to notifying communities at least 30 days prior to the opening of new traditional shelters,” the DHS statement said.
The department’s website says the average notice before opening a shelter is 259 days.
There was some disagreement at the meeting between DHS representatives and Mason when the community board was briefed on the full scope of the plan. According to a DHS spokesperson, the board was notified of the location in March 2025.
Despite the confusion, Mason said no notice period is required for the new shelters.
Future residents of the shelter will be referred through the City’s Department of Homeless Services. The 8-storey building will include three bedrooms on the ground floor, a restaurant, offices for 46 employees and an outdoor space on the roof to avoid wandering.
Security includes 136 on-site security cameras and two TSA-style checkpoints. This facility will be drug and alcohol free, no men or children are allowed and residents must follow the 11pm home rule. Given the school’s proximity, women on probation or parole for sex crimes will not be allowed.
Case workers and social workers will provide residents with individual counseling, employment and housing assistance.
Mason expressed reservations about setting up Patch, saying it “looks like barracks.”
A community advisory board will be formed within 30 days of the shelter’s opening to continue to hear community feedback on a monthly basis.
