Residents of East Flatbush in Brooklyn took to the streets this week to protest the city’s decision to convert the family homeless shelter at 5244 Kings Highway (referred to as Kings Hwy) into a shelter for single adult males. Residents criticized the lack of full communication with the community by the city government, which demanded families living there to relocate and complete the transition by the end of July, sparking strong backlash from the community.
On July 7 (Tuesday), residents started a petition on Change.org (see link), garnering over a hundred signatures of support within three days. The petition pointed out that the previous administration had assured the local city council member Farah Louis and the community that the location would continue to operate as a family shelter with children. However, it was now decided to change it to a shelter for single adult males, going against the previous commitments and lacking any meaningful community consultation.
Council Member Louis stated that she only received an email notification from the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) on Monday, and by Tuesday night, most of the families had already completed their relocation. She emphasized that local residents had gradually embraced the families living there over the years, with many children attending nearby schools and some parents working in nearby businesses. Now they were being forced to leave in a short period, cutting off their existing social support network.
However, this controversy is not a standalone event but the latest chapter in the evolution of the usage of 5244 Kings Hwy over the past eight years.
As early as 2018 and 2019, local residents and the community board opposed the construction of a Holiday Inn hotel at that address. Roy McKenzie, chairman of the East 59th Street Block Association, pointed out at that time that the surrounding area was filled with junkyards and garages, unsuitable for a hotel. He questioned whether the developers had anticipated the hotel’s failure, leading them to have backup plans, ultimately aiming to convert it into a government shelter.
Some residents criticized the lack of community involvement in decision-making, watching the project progress from building a hotel to becoming a government initiative without their input. Nevertheless, the 18th Community Board at that time responded (link) that since the project fell under the “As-of-Right” category allowed by New York City zoning laws, it did not require approval or rejection from the community board. The Buildings Department only needed to confirm compliance with zoning and building regulations to issue a construction permit.
Public building records show that the current designated use of 5244 Kings Hwy is still a short-term hotel (for stays of less than 30 days), with no evidence of a change of occupancy or new usage type application. This dispute is not about a change in building use but rather the government’s adjustment of the target occupants. In the eyes of the Buildings Department, it may have always been considered a hotel.
Public real estate records indicate that the current owner of the hotel at 5244 Kings Hwy is Tejpal Sandhu, who is also the developer of the Bensonhurst 86th Street single adult male shelter. The initial developer of the hotel project, Amritpal Sandhu, is his brother.
The building was completed in 2020, and in 2021, the hotel ceased normal operations and was repurposed by the nonprofit organization Exodus Transitional Community for a transitional housing program for former inmates (link). At that time, the community also protested the lack of adequate notification from the city government. Council Member Louis criticized the government for “operating in secrecy at night,” stating that residents’ true opposition was to the lack of transparency in the decision-making process, not against former inmates reintegrating into society.
According to the content of the Change.org petition, in 2022, the site was proposed to serve as transitional housing for single adult males upon strong opposition from residents, which was not pursued. Subsequently, the facility was converted to accommodate families with children until this year’s announcement of the change to a shelter for single adult males.
In response to residents’ concerns about inadequate community notification, the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) told Dajiyuan that this falls under the organization’s operational decisions based on the city’s shelter needs and that elected officials were informed in advance. In other words, it is not a matter requiring community voting approval but an administrative decision by the government agency in managing the shelter system.
DSS stated that this adjustment “is not directly related to the closure of the male shelter on Bayview,” but is in line with the city’s gradual phasing out of placing families with children in commercial hotels.
DSS pointed out that commercial hotels are not a long-term model for family shelters, and the city is actively transitioning families from hotel accommodations to more suitable Family Welcome Centers (FWC) and other family shelter facilities, while reallocating some hotel beds to accommodate the increasing demand for single adult shelters and the declining need for family accommodations.
A total of 59 families are affected by this adjustment, with over a quarter already relocated to shelters with facilities such as independent kitchens catering specifically to families. The remaining families have been moved to other commercial hotel facilities. DSS stated that case managers continue to work with each family to assist in housing, school, and transportation arrangements, ensuring that children who change their place of residence due to relocation can still choose to remain at their original school.
Regarding residents’ safety concerns, DSS assured that all city shelters are equipped with 24-hour on-site security and emphasized that the institutions and partners are committed to maintaining the safety of the service recipients, staff, and the surrounding community.
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