In the run-up to the November 5th election, the race for the 17th District of the South Brooklyn Council in New York is heating up. Incumbent State Senator and Democrat Iwen Chu is facing a fierce challenge from Republican candidate and former retired police officer Steve Chan. On October 22nd, the issue of the homeless shelter sparked intense debate, leading to a heated confrontation between Chu and Chan as their respective camps intensified their efforts.
The focal point in this district is the proposed construction of a male homeless shelter next to the D train subway station on Benson Avenue and 86th Street. Since July 17th, the homeless shelter project on 86th Street has sparked large-scale protest activities, with protests from Chinese residents continuing for 98 days.
Yesterday (October 22nd), Chu held a press conference at the proposed site of the homeless shelter on 86th Street, announcing a new proposal, S9937, aimed at limiting the city’s payments to hotels for the establishment of shelters, in order to prevent collusion between the city and developers. She emphasized that the purpose of this bill is to fundamentally eliminate the wasteful hotel homeless shelter scheme that has failed to effectively help the homeless, and to promote a “housing first” policy, concentrating resources on building affordable housing.
Chu stated, “The issue of the 86th Street homeless shelter has veered many innocent lives off course, and I hope to truly address this issue at its root from a legislative perspective.” The bill specifies that the amount the city pays to these hotels must not exceed 75% of the affordable housing standard, thereby reducing over 70% of cost wastage.
However, the press conference was met with strong resistance from protesters, with Chu barely having an opportunity to speak as she was disrupted by protester jeers, drumming, horn blowing, and shouting. Her supporters attempted to shield her from opposing signs with their own placards, with police intervening to maintain order and prevent physical altercations.
Following the event, Chu issued a statement criticizing “the obstruction of the press conference by opponents” and questioning Chan’s solutions to the homeless shelter issue. She revealed that she had invited Chan to jointly address the issue with the mayor but was met with a refusal. She challenged Chan, asking, “Apart from making threats, what solutions do you have? Our community needs real solutions, not just empty slogans.”
At the protest site, protesters opposed to Chu claimed that their actions were spontaneous, denying any organized manipulation behind their actions. They questioned the timing of her bill proposal, believing that she only pushed for legislation before the election to garner votes.
A protester, Mr. Pang, questioned Chu’s actions, “Why didn’t she propose this bill earlier instead of waiting until the election is near? She called us an illegal assembly on the first day, and we have been gathering for 99 days. If she genuinely opposes the homeless shelter, she should have visited us on day one, not now. We are not fools.”
Tensions between supporters of both sides escalated, leading to a standoff with intense confrontations. One Chinese resident remarked, “You are not welcome here,” to which the opposing side retorted, “Why can’t we come? Did you buy this street?”
Resident Queenie believed that regardless of support or opposition, Chu should be given a chance to speak. She mentioned her opposition to the homeless shelter and recounted witnessing homeless individuals injecting needles in front of her house twice. While Queenie maintained a neutral stance on the two candidates, she felt attacked for being associated with Chu’s camp, likening it to the “Red Guards” restricting others from speaking out.
Local residents with differing viewpoints stated that the dispute between the two sides is “unnecessary.” Mr. Tam mentioned that the root of the homeless issue lies in federal policies, believing that the long-term solution lies in the border policies of the Trump administration, suggesting that different approaches don’t require such bickering as it is all for the residents’ benefit, not just for winning votes.
In response to Chu’s accusations, Chan attributed her lack of popularity in the community to her campaign team, stating, “She said my campaign team consists of a few hundred neighbors who actually live nearby? Then I must be doing something right.”
Chan stressed that he has been protesting the establishment of the homeless shelter with the community from the start, while Chu has been absent from key protest activities, even accusing the protesters of illegality. He emphasized that if elected, he will seek ways to address homelessness. He also criticized Chu’s claim that she cannot pass new legislation before the election as the legislative council will not convene until January.