*donation here go to change.org not to V.O.I.C.E.

FORMAL NOTICE OF OPPOSITION: EMERGENCY ORDER SITIING
CONCERNING THE RELOCATION OF CITYWIDE INTAKE TO 8 East 3rd Street & 333 Bowery

TO:

Mayor of the City of New York
Commissioner of the NYC Department of Homeless Services
Commissioner of the NYC Department of Social Services

CC: 

Manhattan Community Boards 2 & 3 

New York City Council Members

SUBJECT: Demand to Rescind Emergency Orders Bypassing Community Safety

We, the undersigned residents, business owners, and stakeholders of the East Village and NoHo, write to voice our absolute opposition to the City’s decision to use "Emergency Orders" to relocate Citywide Intake facilities into our community.

Moving a Citywide Intake center—the highest-impact tier of the shelter system—into our residential and commercial corridors without a single public hearing is an egregious abuse of executive power. This "behind-closed-doors" decision directly threatens the safety, stability, and integrity of our neighborhood.

STATEMENT OF EMERGENCY CONCERNS

1. Abuse of Emergency Powers: The use of an Emergency Order to bypass the City Charter’s transparency requirements denies our community the right to due process. Our neighborhood is not a "relief valve" for citywide systemic failures.
2.  Unmanaged Public Safety Risk: A Citywide Intake facility brings a transient population with high-acuity needs from across all five boroughs to a single point in our neighborhood. The City has provided zero plan for the inevitable increase in loitering, street congestion, and public safety incidents surrounding such a facility.
3. The "Bowery/East Village" Saturation: Our community already hosts a disproportionate share of social services and Article 28 clinics. Forcing an intake center here—without an environmental or safety impact study—will push our neighborhood past the breaking point of public order.
4. Economic Devaluation: This decision was made without consulting the small businesses that are the lifeblood of NoHo and the East Village. An intake center at this scale creates a "dead zone" for commerce and a high-risk environment for employees and customers.

FORMAL DEMANDS

We demand that the Mayor and the City of New York:

1. Immediately Rescind the Emergency Order: Revert to the standard public review process for the siting of any intake facility to allow for community impact analysis.
2. Cease All Intake Relocation Activities: Halt the movement of any citywide intake functions to the East Village/NoHo corridor until a full Public Safety Audit is conducted by the NYPD and independent safety experts.
3. Public Disclosure of Security Protocols: Provide the public with a detailed "Site Security Plan" that includes a 24/7 exterior perimeter patrol, a dedicated NYPD task force, and a de-escalation strategy for the surrounding streets.
4. Full Transparency on Resident Profiles: Disclose the exact nature of the population being moved (e.g., single adults, those with behavioral health histories) so the community can prepare for the specific safety challenges involved.
5. Direct Executive Consultation: We demand an immediate town hall meeting with the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services to explain why our neighborhood was targeted behind our backs.
6. The City of New York cannot solve a citywide crisis by creating a localized disaster. We will use every legal and community resource at our disposal to protect the safety of the East Village and NoHo.