The 79th District is one of the most heavily populated districts in the city of New York with homeless shelters. There is unequal distribution of shelters throughout the city and it is affecting the communities being most heavily populated with them. One of the most recent shelters, Pyramid Safe Haven, has occupied a former YMCA in the Melrose Commons area of the 79th district and is housing a very troubled section of the homeless population in an area that is filled with families, children and the elderly. This particular building could be better used as a community space for this neighborhood, which, it is lacking as it has a pool, gymnasium, track, classrooms, cafeteria and other community spaces which are currently not being utilized by the Pyramid Safe Haven Program.  Only a small section of the building is being used. It is a misuse of space.  There are other facilities in other districts that would be more appropriate for this particular shelter's program. There is an imbalance in the city on how shelters are being dispersed and what resources are available to the communities affected. We demand that this shelter be moved to another location, preferably in another district, as we have a disproportionate number compared to the rest of the city and so that we can use the building for adding other types of services to our community.

Sincerely, The Residents and Supporters of Melrose Commons