We, the undersigned residents of Queensbridge Houses North and South, strongly oppose the family shelter that DHS seeks to open at 39-78 11th Street and 40th Avenue, right in the heart of our community.

Our neighborhood already has 34 shelters within a one-mile radius—an overwhelming concentration that burdens our community far more than other areas in New York City. The continued placement of shelters in Queensbridge is yet another example of the deep inequities in the city's approach to homelessness.

While we support efforts to help those in need, real solutions go beyond temporary shelters. We need permanent affordable housing to address homelessness and the wider housing crisis. This is the most effective, compassionate, and fair way to ensure long-term stability.

This project was approved under a previous administration and under Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, without community input or transparency. We are calling on Mayor Adams to intervene on behalf of Queensbridge residents to stop the development of the shelter in its current form and consider the following:

1. The disproportionate placement of shelters in the Queensbridge community without the necessary resources.
2. Implement a permanent affordable housing solution on this site for unhoused community members, as it is a more effective and compassionate solution.
3. Give additional community resources to organizations in our community that specialize in financial literacy, wellness services, and economic mobility and self-sufficiency.

In signing this petition and organizing in protest, we express our unified opposition of the proposed shelter, and we stand together for equity, transparency, and the well-being of the Queensbridge community.

Protest on Sunday, Dec. 8 @ 1:30pm

Community leaders, business owners, and residents will gather at the site of the proposed shelter to give voice to the importance of prioritizing long-term housing solutions and ensuring fair treatment of the Queensbridge community in the city’s homelessness strategy. Please come out and show your support.