BY BEN BRACHFELD
The city is considering alternative
sites to place a homeless
shelter for adult men in
Brighton Beach, after a proposed
site on Neptune Avenue
drew signifi cant opposition.
“After receiving requests
from community representatives
to explore alternate locations
and plans, NYC DSS-DHS
is actively looking for alternate
sites and plans to consider,” a
spokesperson for the city’s Department
of Homeless Services
said in a statement to Brooklyn
Paper. “If NYC DSS-DHS
ientifi es an alternative site in
the community (same community
district) that is viable
to provide shelter to the men
who would have resided at 100
Neptune Avenue, then the City
will change their plans and
will use that location instead.”
The Neptune Avenue site
was selected last year by the
Department of Homeless Services
COURIER L 10 IFE, JULY 30-AUG. 5, 2021
to house 170 beds for
adult, single men, and is one of
the 90 community-based shelters
that the city aims to build
by the end of the year to combat
homelessness. But area
residents immediately blasted
into high gear to oppose the
project, to the point that more
than 10 people were kicked out
of a community meeting to
discuss it back in January.
Some residents contended
that the site’s history as an auto
body shop and a garage, and potential
resultant ground pollutants,
meant that the city should
conduct environmental remediation
before utilizing the space
as a shelter, a position shared
by then-Councilmember Chaim
Deutsch and the local community
The proposed site of the homeless shelter, 100 Neptune Ave. Google
board, CB13. The city
agreed to conduct an environmental
impact statement for the
site but DHS did not respond to
an inquiry on whether that is
still taking place.
In March, the original intended
operator of the shelter,
CORE, was dropped after objections
by the lot’s owners.
CB13 District Manager Eddie
Mark said that since the
board hasn’t met since June, it
hasn’t crystallized a position
on whether it supports the
move by the city to consider
alternatives. The site also lies
near neighboring Community
District 15 — and that community
board believes it is entitled
to a meeting with city offi
cials, says CB15 member and
Manhattan Beach Community
Group President Judy Baron.
Baron told Brooklyn Paper
that siting the shelter at 100
Neptune would be “irresponsible,”
but she is holding her
breath until the city comes
back with alternatives. “I hope
they fi nd another location,”
she said. “I think this is the
world’s worst place to put it.”
The city has not yet shared
the potential alternative sites
it is considering with her or
other civic leaders, Baron
said. DHS did not respond
when asked by Brooklyn Paper
to share the list.
The proposed shelter comes
as the number of New Yorkers
experiencing homelessness
reaches record heights due to
COVID-19, according to advocates.
Locals have reported
an increase in homelessness
around Coney Island and Brighton
Beach, where unsheltered
people are often seen along
Ocean Parkway and have set up
encampments in Kaiser Park.
Though the new shelter
does not need community approval
to move forward, DHS
offi cials have vowed to keep locals
informed along the way.
“As part of the City’s ongoing
commitment to continued
engagement with the community,
we will also provide notifi
cation to the community
in advance of proceeding with
any alternative site, should
one be identifi ed,” the DSSDHS
spox said.
DO-OVER?
City considering alternative
sites to controversial Brighton
Beach homeless shelter
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