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Staten Island elected officials voice disapproval for a planned homeless shelter
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Mar 8, 2026
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CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Mar 8, 2026
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A 160-bed men’s shelter planned for Staten Island’s South Shore is sparking pushback from local officials and residents, who have expressed concerns about its location and have urged more input from the local community.
The shelter, which is projected to open in mid-2027, would serve adult men and would be located at 4934 Arthur Kill Road in Tottenville.
In a March 5 letter to Erin Dalton, the city’s social services commissioner, local Councilmember Frank Morano — along with Assemblymember Michael Reilly, state Sen. Andrew Lanza and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis – called for the city to reconsider the plan. In the letter, the Republican lawmakers cited "questions about whether this site is appropriate" for homeless individuals "to help rebuild their lives,” citing limited access to public transportation at the site. The officials also raised concerns about safety and other impacts on surrounding small businesses, and what they called a lack of “engagement” and transparency from the developer and city agencies involved.
“New York City's shelter system plays a vital role in assisting individuals in crisis,” the letter said. “But that mission can only succeed when facilities are placed in locations where residents can realistically access employment, transportation, social services, and supportive community infrastructure.”
Borough President Vito Fossella, also a Republican, raised similar concerns in a statement on Friday. Morano led a protest against the facility Saturday according to the Staten Island Advance.
Opposition to the shelter cut across party lines. Assemblymember Charles Fall, a Democrat, said in a statement on Saturday that “our city has a moral obligation to care for those experiencing homelessness, but that responsibility must go hand in hand with respect for the communities where these facilities are proposed.”
News of the South Shore shelter comes after the Mamdani administration recently announced it would close the city-owned Bellevue Shelter in Midtown – the city’s largest homeless shelter for men – and relocate its 250 residents by mid-March.
“It leads one to think that we're not serious about solving the city's homeless crisis, we're just trying to shuffle homeless people around,” Morano said at a press conference on Friday. “And we're being asked to pick up the capacity for homeless people that would've been housed otherwise in Manhattan.”
Staten Island lawmakers say the proposed shelter is part of a long history of the borough getting short shrift.
“When it comes to snow removal, or pre-K seats, or just getting our fair share of resources, Staten Island is the forgotten borough,” said Councilmember David Carr in a statement. “But City Hall seems to always remember us when they need to locate unwanted projects that can harm communities, like battery storage sites or migrant shelters. The proposed men’s shelter on Arthur Kill Road is not just in an inaccessible and inappropriate location, it is a slap in the face to the residents of our borough.”
Spokespeople for City Hall and the Department of Social Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.
Tagged
economy
homelessness
staten island
Arya Sundaram
Arya is a reporter covering race and justice. Got a tip? Email: [email protected] or reach Arya on Signal at 512-650-8767.
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