New York State Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein penned a sharply worded letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and to NYC Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park, expressing his strong opposition to the decision to place a shelter for homeless families in Boro Park at a location that would adversely affect the surrounding area. While Assemblyman Eichenstein acknowledged the importance of addressing the needs of the homeless in New York City, he said he is disturbed to have learned about the plan to place a shelter in the area without having been consulted previously. “Why weren’t our community leaders or local elected officials informed and engaged in advance?” Assemblyman Eichenstein asked. “How was this decision made without considering the input of those most familiar with the neighborhood’s dynamics? A project of this magnitude should never be carried out without the involvement of those who will be most directly impacted.” At a recent Community Board 12 meeting, residents of all ethnic backgrounds who live in the area voiced their strong opposition to the planned shelter, citing safety and security concerns, overcrowding and the close proximity to a hospital, a rehab center, a public school and several medical centers. “This location is situated on one of the busiest streets in the neighborhood,” Assemblyman Eichenstein wrote, adding that placing a homeless shelter in this densely populated high-traffic area “would disrupt the daily lives of patients, visitors, students, residents, the elderly and infirm, and the community at large.” Assemblyman Eichenstein pointed out safety and security concerns, especially considering the many children who return home from school in the evening, well after dark. He also expressed concern about the overwhelming burden that a shelter would place on local law enforcement, healthcare services, and other essential resources. “All of these issues could have been discussed and recognized had the Mayor and the Commissioner reached out to us before this decision was made,” Assemblyman Eichenstein said. “I am hopeful that they will reconsider this ill-advised decision which would negatively impact the community and look forward to discussing potential alternatives that will best serve the homeless and the community at large.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)