Dozens of Brooklynites camping out 24/7 in protest of incoming homeless shelter

New York Post

23-04-2025

A new type of homeless encampment has popped up in Brooklyn.
Dozens of Sheepshead Bay residents have been living in tents on Coyle Street for the past five weeks to protest against an incoming family homeless shelter, which they claim would trigger an explosion of crime in their otherwise sleepy enclave.
'Everyday. Anytime,' said Danny Pan, who was celebrating his 55th birthday Wednesday with his fellow protesters, adding that they'll remain on Coyle Street 'until there's no homeless shelter. Until the project is gone.'
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7 Protesters against the proposed shelter have stationed tents on Coyle Street.
Stephen Yang
The four large tents spanning the length of the property line of the incoming shelter were erected last month, just days after hundreds of protesters stormed the streets to accuse the city of a 'bait and switch' after the controversial lot was initially planned for affordable housing.
The plastic shelters are covered in American flags and protest signs, and are filled top-to-bottom with fliers, food and drink and personal items, like a drum kit.
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The so-called volunteers stage the sit-in in shifts so that between six and up to 50 people are sitting outside the property at all times, with another small group stationed on the corner of Avenue U armed with protest signs.
Nearby bakeries and restaurants donate meals almost daily to the cause, and one donor even paid for a port-a-potty for the enduring group to utilize.
7 The protesters are inside the tents 24/7 on rotating shifts.
Stephen Yang
The goal of the sit-in is twofold: it is mostly in protest of the incoming shelter, which plans to accommodate 169 families, but is also to ensure that neither the city nor Westhab, the private owner, begins construction without the proper permits.
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The protesters began consistently stationing themselves outside after catching construction crews allegedly sneaking onto the property under the cover of darkness.
'Westhab hired construction companies to come and demolish the buildings, and they came at like crazy hours. One time they came at 6 a.m.,' explained Benjamin Louie, a neighbor and organizer.
'So I thought that of the idea, 'Why don't we just stake out the whole night to prevent them from coming?' We basically blocked the doors. We're taking up space.'
The group initially tried to block workers from the site, but after a court order were forced to let them in. Nevertheless, they remained on the sidewalk.
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7 The community feels duped after the city scrapped plans for an affordable housing unit for the homeless shelter.
Stephen Yang
7 The incoming shelter will host 169 families.
Stephen Yang
7 'They're cheating, they're lying,' Danny Pan said of City Hall.
Stephen Yang
The protesters argued that they were not against homeless people in general, but against the potential safety risk to their children — especially because of the property's close proximity to the numerous daycare centers that line Avenue U, as well as the elementary and middle schools just several blocks away.
The city has previously emphasized that the shelter will be for families, but the protesters remain unconvinced, saying they were already duped by city officials who originally promised the controversial lot would be turned into affordable housing units.
That plan, supported by the City Council, was dropped by the original developer back in 2023. Westhab then swooped in with their own plan to build the district's first long-term homeless shelter, housing 169 families, with a preference for those already living in the community.
7 Nearly all the protesters are Chinese Americans.
Stephen Yang
'I don't trust what the mayor says. He turned the city into the City of Yes, he imported 100,000 migrants over here … He doesn't care about our neighborhood. South Brooklyn,' said Louie.
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'They say it's for women and children, but who knows. They're cheating, they're lying,' added Pan, of Marine Park.
In a statement to The Post, Westhab emphasized that it was not privy to the previous affordable housing plans and had properly given the community notice about their shelter.
'The level of protest here, for the first permanent shelter in the community which will house parents and children in an attractive new building, is truly unfortunate and is not representative of the neighborly spirit of New Yorkers. We look forward to building a first-rate building and operating a quality program which we hope will change the views of those in the community who are objecting,' a spokesperson said.
7 The community is afraid the shelter will pose safety concerns for the neighborhood children.
Stephen Yang
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'There is a great opportunity here to allow the values and humanity we hold as New Yorkers to shine through.'
Westhab expects to begin construction as soon as the permits are secured, with an anticipated opening date of 2027.
The city Department of Social Services emphasized that it would work closely with the community and Westhab to provide security around the shelter and 'seamlessly integrat' it into Sheepshead Bay.
'Homelessness affects every neighborhood in New York City, and in order to effectively address this citywide crisis, we need every community to do its part to support our neighbors in need. This new shelter for families with children – which will be the first long-term shelter of any kind in this council district – will provide vulnerable families with a safe and dignified place to stay as they transition back to permanent housing,' a spokesperson said, adding that the agency hopes 'that residents will come to recognize the importance of this facility and ultimately afford these families the respect and compassion they deserve.'
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Nearly all of the protesters camped out on Coyle Street every day are older residents, though teenagers and young adults tend to stand ground during the weekends. Some come from as far as Homecrest to protest.
The protesters are almost entirely from the Chinese American community — when The Post visited on Sunday and Wednesday, only one non-Asian American was sitting with the group.
'We don't know why. We're not the only ones who live in the neighborhood. We need more people, more support,' said one neighbor, who asked to be referred to as Ms. Wu.