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CBS News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Demonstrators arrested as fight against Brooklyn homeless shelter escalates
There were arrests Wednesday morning as an ongoing fight against a Brooklyn homeless shelter escalated. Protesters have been trying to block construction at the Coyle Street site in Sheepshead Bay for nearly seven weeks. Demonstrators clash with NYPD at Coyle Street construction site Video from early Wednesday morning shows one man laying on his back on the ground, as other protestors argue with police. From another angle, video shows demonstrators push back against officers trying to clear them from blocking the site of the controversial shelter. The NYPD confirms several people were arrested in the morning tussle. Residents had set up an encampment to prevent the start of construction. "They broke everything down, and they pretty much removed the residents to across the street," community organizer Dimple Willabus said. Earlier this month, a judge ruled that opponents cannot block access to the property as nonprofit developer Westhab begins working on a 169-bed homeless shelter for families with children. A New York City Department of Homeless Services spokesperson said in a statement, "While these protestors have every right to publicly express their views and opinions, they must do so peacefully and in a manner which complies with the law." Opponents worried about quality-of-life issues Opponents call the project a bait-and-switch. The site was previously approved as a five-story building which included affordable housing back in 2021. That developer pulled out, which is when Westhab stepped in with its shelter project. "We ask them to build the homeless shelter somewhere else," protester Ken Huang said. Huang said many in the community worry about quality-of-life concerns. "The people, they feel unsafe, so that's why they want to protect the community," said resident Lina Chen, who has been helping organize the rallies in the area. Richard Nightingale, president and CEO of Westhab, says the organization had nothing to do with the original proposal. In a written statement, he says, in part: "We've been clear about our plans from the onset of our involvement, and we've followed all protocols including community notifications beginning two years ago in 2023." Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse, who represents this district, says she was made aware of the shelter plan in 2023. "We thought that 'no, it could not happen,' because we just finished debating the [Uniform Land Use Review Procedure] process for affordable housing. When I looked at the Department of Buildings' website, it was affordable housing," she said to Brooklyn reporter Hannah Kliger. Residents file injunction to try to pause construction Neighbors have filed an injunction to try to pause construction. They are due in court on May 7, when they plan to protest outside the courthouse and then by City Hall. The city's Department of Homeless Services says this district does not have any long-term shelter resources. In a statement, a spokesperson writes, in part, "We need every community to do its part to support our neighbors in need." That's not an argument opponents find compelling. "What about Park Avenue in Manhattan? What about Sutton Place in Manhattan? What about Billionaires' Row on Central Park South?" said Curtis Sliwa, who is running for New York City mayor on the Republican ticket. "When you start setting the example in Manhattan, then maybe we can convince these people they need to do their fair share." Protestors also plan to march through the community on Sunday. Westhab says the shelter is expected to open in about two years. Have a story idea or tip in Brooklyn? Email Hannah by CLICKING HERE.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Homeless shelter in Brooklyn sparks outrage and protests: ‘Not safe for the kids'
SHEEPSHEAD BAY, Brooklyn (PIX11) — Outrage is growing in Brooklyn over a planned homeless shelter in Sheepshead Bay. Dozens of residents are staging a 24-hour sit-in, setting up tents along the sidewalk outside the site at 2134 Coyle Street. More Local News Demonstrators said the goal is to block construction crews from entering and starting work. Nancy, a Sheepshead Bay resident, said she's concerned about safety with the site being located near several schools and daycares. 'Will not be safe for the kids,' said Nancy. 'There are a lot of schools around in this neighborhood.' The New York City Department of Homeless Services told PIX11 News that the community was notified about the shelter plan in July of 2023. They noted that the shelter will house 169 families with children, and that any insinuation that vulnerable families would be a danger to the community is entirely baseless. A DHS spokesperson said in a statement, '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.' Protesters are calling for affordable housing, which they claim was the original plan for the site. Westhab, the private developer behind the project, said they had no involvement in any previous plans for the site. The company said it's important for families at the shelter to have access to schools, daycares, grocery stores, and the basic services that every New Yorker depends on. Despite a recent court injunction that prevents protesters from blocking access to the property, residents vow to maintain their encampment along the sidewalk to ensure their voices are heard. 'This our family, our area, and our community so we have to protect us.' The shelter's opening date remains contingent on securing necessary construction permits and approvals from the city and state. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-fraud investigator for NYC Dept. of Homeless Services gets 27 months for COVID scam
A former fraud investigator for the New York City Department of Homeless Services will spend 27 months in prison for stealing and selling homeless people's personal information during the COVID pandemic. Brooklyn resident Olabanji Otufale, 41, accessed the names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and photos of city homeless people, then sold that information to Marc Lazarre, an identity thief who used their IDs to apply for COVID unemployment relief. A Brooklyn Federal Court judge sentenced Otufale on Wednesday. The victims had given the city their names and info to apply for social services like beds in homeless shelter and food stamps. In October 2020, Otufale accessed a DHS database, took photos of the ID info he saw, and texted those pics to Lazarre. Lazarre, 39, of New Jersey, then tried to file for unemployment insurance in the victims' names, but he wasn't always successful — some of his marks had already filed for unemployment, according to court filings. In fact, he only managed to score a measly $182 in pilfered benefits, according to prosecutors. When his claims got rejected, he asked Otufale for new names, telling him in one text, 'smfh [shaking my f—ing head] told you these bums b on it.' Otufale and Lazarre were taking advantage of the federal CARES act, an economic stimulus package set up in the early days of the pandemic that provided more than $2 trillion in emergency COVID relief. 'The defendant abused his position of trust as a fraud investigator to access and steal vulnerable homeless victims' personal identifying information for his personal benefit,' U.S. Attorney John J. Durham said. Otufale and Lazarre pleaded guilty in Brooklyn Federal Court to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in July, the same day jury selection was supposed to start in their trial. Lazarre has a history of identity theft and forgery convictions dating back to 2015, and at one point he took out a lease in a dead person's name, according to the feds. He's slated to be sentenced in March.
