Cunningham Opposes Planned Shelter in Crown Heights

By COLlive reporter

Assemblymember Brian A. Cunningham has come out in opposition to a newly proposed homeless shelter in Crown Heights, becoming the first elected official to publicly push back against the plan.

In a letter dated April 26 to New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Erin Dalton, Cunningham voiced strong concerns over the city’s proposal to convert the Ramada hotel by Wyndham at 169 Empire Boulevard near Bedford Avenue into a temporary shelter for 140 single adult men.

While emphasizing that the city has a “moral and legal responsibility” to provide shelter and support for those experiencing homelessness, Cunningham said the current proposal raises serious issues about transparency, planning, and community impact.

“The way this proposed site has been communicated and advanced raises serious concerns for the surrounding community, local stakeholders, and the residents who may ultimately be placed there,” he wrote.

According to the notice sent to Community Board 9, the site is part of an effort to relocate assessment beds connected to the Bellevue/30th Street intake facility. However, Cunningham said key details were missing, including the rationale for choosing the location, how long the shelter would operate, and what services and safety measures would be in place.

He pointed to the already busy nature of Empire Boulevard, describing it as a corridor with heavy pedestrian traffic and a mix of residential, commercial, and institutional activity. Introducing a facility of this scale, he said, requires a clear operational plan and meaningful consultation with the community.

Among the unanswered questions Cunningham raised were staffing levels, 24-hour security, coordination with emergency services, and how residents placed in the shelter would be connected to long-term housing and support systems.

Until those questions are addressed, Cunningham stated plainly, “I cannot support the siting of this facility at this location.”

He called on the city to pause the plan and convene a public meeting with Community Board 9, local residents, and elected officials, and to provide a full site and safety plan along with greater transparency about the decision-making process.

“Homeless New Yorkers deserve more than emergency placement in hotels, and communities deserve a transparent planning process,” Cunningham wrote, urging officials to reconsider the location.

The proposal has not yet drawn public responses from other elected officials, making Cunningham the first to formally oppose the planned shelter as details continue to emerge.

Last week, a state judge ordered the Mamdani administration to pause its plan to relocate the intake office where homeless men can ask for a shelter bed, Gothamist reported.

The plan to relocate intake services from Midtown to the East Village was set to take effect May 1 until residents sued the city this week to stop it. The lawsuit argued the administration rushed the process and didn’t subject the plan to necessary review and adequate public notice.