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A judge has temporarily halted New York City's plan to relocate its largest homeless shelter intake site from East 30th Street to East 3rd Street in the East Village. This decision, made on Wednesday (April 22), comes after a lawsuit was filed by local residents and business owners who oppose the move, citing concerns over the lack of public input and potential safety issues.
The Mamdani administration announced in March that it would close the deteriorating Bellevue Shelter and move intake operations to a building previously used as a mental health shelter. However, the relocation, initially set for May 1, faced backlash from the community. Caleb Berger, a member of the Village Organization for the Integrity of Community Engagement, emphasized that the lawsuit is not against shelters but against the rapid relocation process. "We all live in the East Village; they are part of the social fabric. The residents are our neighbors," Berger said, according to NY1.
The lawsuit argues that the city bypassed public comment and environmental review by issuing an emergency executive order. Gothamist reports that the judge's order allows construction to continue at the new site but halts the intake service relocation.
The Coalition for the Homeless and the Legal Aid Society argue that the move is necessary due to unsafe conditions at the current site. City Hall spokesperson Sneha Choudhary stated, "Leaving people in a space that is falling apart is a failure of our responsibility." The city plans to address the relocation needs with the court, with the next hearing scheduled for May 7.
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