By: Hal C Clarke

Hundreds of outraged residents filled the streets of Sheepshead Bay on Sunday to protest the city’s plan to convert a proposed affordable housing site into a large-scale homeless shelter, a move locals say was made without their knowledge or consent.

As reported by the New York Post, a caravan of vehicles stretched for nearly 20 blocks through the typically quiet Brooklyn neighborhood while demonstrators on foot carried signs reading “Affordable housing not shelters” and “Keep our kids safe! No shelters near playgrounds or schools!”

At the heart of the dispute is the city’s plan to build a 169-family homeless shelter at 2134 Coyle Street. According to the Post, the site was originally approved in 2022 for affordable housing, a proposal that had community backing. However, after the original developer backed out, city officials quietly approved new plans in 2023 to convert the property into a shelter — a change residents say they were never informed about.

The protest began at the proposed shelter site and was joined by community activist and mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, who has been vocal about the need for transparency in city planning. “As you can see, the community is outraged,” Sliwa said during the march, according to the New York Post. “The mayor refuses to talk to us, and none of the other mayoral candidates will even show up.”

Sliwa said the community had agreed to affordable housing and now feels betrayed by what he called a last-minute “bait and switch.” “We want affordable housing — that’s what this community was told, and that’s what they supported,” he said.

Residents and business owners lined the streets as marchers passed by, temporarily bringing traffic to a halt in parts of the neighborhood. Many locals echoed concerns about safety, transparency, and the impact on community resources.

“This is a great neighborhood with a lot of older residents, parks, and families,” said Fruma Feldman, 21, who grew up in Sheepshead Bay. “I believe homeless people need help, but even my dad, who knows people who’ve been in shelters, says they’re often unsafe — even for the homeless themselves.”

Feldman also referenced recent crime concerns tied to nearby migrant housing. “After the tent city went up at Floyd Bennett Field, my dad’s car got robbed,” she told the Post. “Stores were closing early. There were armed robberies. It was scary, and we don’t want that repeated here.”

The demonstration is part of an ongoing campaign against the shelter. According to the New York Post, residents have been maintaining a tent encampment outside the Coyle Street property for over a month. City Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse visited the site in April and expressed support for the protesters, as first reported by the Canarsie Courier.

District 46 City Council candidate Dimple Willabus also joined the demonstration and called on local leaders to take immediate action. “This is about accountability,” Willabus said. “Don’t come here for PR. Fix this. The city messed up, and now the community is paying the price.”

Construction on the shelter could begin at any time, residents warned, and they say they’re prepared to continue protesting for as long as necessary to stop it.