Brooklyn parents, teachers, and community leaders are demanding answers after New York City announced plans to open a massive 200-bed homeless shelter for single men just one block from Science and Medicine Middle School 366 in Canarsie.
On Monday, November 9, dozens of residents rallied against the proposed facility at 945 East 108th Street, questioning why city officials would place a shelter of this size so close to children.
Even Democratic City Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse, who represents the neighborhood, is publicly opposing the plan.
"You want to put it next to a school — a middle school for God's sake!" Narcisse told protesters. "These are our children! Shame!"
But the controversy goes deeper than the shelter's location.
Residents have been raising concerns about this property for nearly a year.
In November 2025, community members organized a rally after learning that private developers had purchased a building previously used to serve older adults amid rumors it would become a men's homeless shelter.
By January 2026, residents were still waiting for answers.
Now those concerns have become a concrete proposal, and Narcisse says the Department of Social Services only officially informed her of the plan last week.
"When we spoke last year, there was no shelter plan," she said.
The proposed shelter would be operated by Midway Living and is expected to open in 2028.
And there's a substantial amount of taxpayer money involved.
Public procurement records show a proposed $61.5 million contract for Midway Living's East 108th Street single-adult shelter services, covering October 2026 through September 2031. The contract was listed as still undergoing approval, not as money already paid.
Meanwhile, Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration has announced plans for 12 additional shelters across New York City between 2027 and 2030, including three in Brooklyn.
City officials argue the expansion is necessary to accommodate growing demand, reduce overcrowding, and move families out of hotels and substandard facilities.
But Canarsie residents want to know why their concerns about school proximity, neighborhood safety, security procedures, and community consultation haven't been addressed before the project moves forward.
The city says it will hold public meetings before shelters open. Narcisse has requested a meeting with the Department of Social Services commissioner on Thursday, November 12.
At Monday's protest, residents had another demand:
"We want the mayor!"
Homeless New Yorkers deserve safe housing. Parents deserve answers about developments near their children's schools. Those responsibilities are not mutually exclusive.
Should the Mamdani administration reconsider the location of this 200-bed shelter, or move forward despite neighborhood opposition?
