In Brooklyn’s 86th Street, a new wave of protests against a homeless shelter has been ignited, while a controversial immigrant detention center on Staten Island has once again attracted the attention of various levels of Republican lawmakers in New York. On April 10th, elected officials gathered in front of the facility, urging the new city administration to audit its “secret contract” and ultimately shut down the homeless shelter when the contract expires later this year.
Father Capodanno Blvd at 1111 on Staten Island is currently operating as an immigrant detention center. Prior to 2023, it was a senior apartment complex. Since September 2023, it has been used as a detention center for immigrants, owned and operated by the organization “Home for the Homeless” (HFH) under a three-year contract set to expire this September.
On April 10th, several New York Republican lawmakers including State Assemblyman Michael Tannousis, State Senator Andrew Lanza, and City Council Minority Leader David Carr held a rally drawing attention back to this homeless shelter. The event also garnered support from Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis.
Tannousis stated that over the past two years, it has been discovered that this immigrant detention center has been operating in a “secretive state” with no transparency or accountability, and no information has been provided by the City Hall.
“We have been demanding for increased transparency and accountability from the city government,” said State Assemblyman Tannousis. “The so-called immigrant crisis is just an excuse for those in power to line their pockets. That’s the fact.”
“I and my colleagues oppose the proposal to establish a shelter in Midland Beach,” Councilman Carr said. “The capacity of the Staten Island shelter far exceeds the actual need. We urge the mayor to change his mind, work with us, and find a usage that truly benefits the community.”
In March of this year, the Midland Beach Civic Association issued an open letter requesting the city government not to renew the shelter contract. The letter stated that the community strongly believes the operation of the “Home for the Homeless” is unethical.
“In the 23 years from 1999 to 2023, this building has been a stable, dignified home for about 50-53 elderly residents and veterans in the community,” the letter read. “Like 95-year-old Korean War veteran Frank Tammaro and many other residents who resided here, they received a notice in September 2022 stating that the owner was ‘seeking a buyer to continue operating services for the elderly.’ He and some residents believed this statement and moved out of the residence in March 2023.”
Just 11 days before this notice, Mayor Adams announced the “Emergency Immigration Sanctuary Act,” relaxing all building regulations and restrictions. The property was never sold but transformed into a shelter six months later, under a $30 million contract, generating five times the revenue of its previous use.
Thus, the Civic Association finds the conversion of the apartment building “highly suspicious.” Furthermore, the current building with 300 beds has only one communal kitchen, which does not comply with Mayor Mandoni’s shelter regulations.
The residents’ association requests that the existing contract be allowed to expire as planned in September 2026, and that homeless families be relocated to compliant shelters after that, with the property then being sold to a senior housing operator.