Douglaston FAQs

Why here?

High-opportunity neighborhoods like ours are ideal places for people to get back on their feet. Excluding people from the resources associated with wealthier and whiter communities is actually upholding residential segregation, which in turn maintains the racial wealth gap. Housing justice is racial justice!

It’s particularly important that wealthy neighborhoods like ours accept their fair share of shelters and affordable housing. As of 2019, Queens Community Board 11 had no shelters. Other communities--often Black and brown--are hosting many times more of the city’s sheltered population. We can be part of the solution!

Will having a shelter in the neighborhood mean I will see more people on the streets?

Visible homelessness does not all come from shelter residents, and not providing shelters does not mean there will be fewer homeless individuals on the streets--if anything, it means there will be more people living unsheltered. Many of the issues people cite when they complain about shelters are actually discomfort with people living unsheltered. Shelters provide a place to store belongings, shower, and use the bathroom. They can also connect individuals to services and offer a pathway to housing, which is the ultimate goal! A shelter can be a bridge to substance abuse treatment, medical and psychiatric care, employment, and permanent housing whether independent or supportive. According to the shelter provider, residents of the shelter that is coming to our neighborhood will not be locked out during the day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be prepared and served on-site each day. If we really want to end homelessness in our streets, we should prioritize more services and more permanent, affordable, and supportive housing right here in Douglaston. 

What about mental illness and substance use?

Mental health and substance use issues affect our society at large, and need appropriate care and compassionate solutions, not stigmatization. These issues have nothing to do with being lazy or weak or immoral. Many factors contribute to mental health and substance use problems, including biological factors such as genes, physical illness, injury, or brain chemistry; life experiences, such as trauma or a history of abuse; and family history of mental health or substance use problems. 19.1% of US adults struggle with a mental illness diagnosis. Moreover, in 2018, 19.4% of Americans 12 and over used illicit drugs in the past year. These illnesses do not discriminate; instead, what may differ by demographic group and socioeconomic status is access to appropriate care, support, and community compassion.

Will a shelter lead to increased crime in the neighborhood?

There is no link between the existence of homeless shelters in a neighborhood and increased crime. Last year on the Upper West Side, when several hotels served as shelters, fears of a spike in crime were not borne out: crime was down compared to the previous year, and actually decreased even more than crime in comparable neighborhoods and the city as a whole. 

People experiencing homelessness are far more likely to be the victims of crimes than perpetrators. Unsheltered individuals are especially vulnerable. 

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes, on their sidewalks, and in their communities. Just like any new neighbor, shelter residents can make the neighborhood a friendlier and safer place, building community through daily interactions and patronizing local businesses. According to the shelter provider, three uniformed security guards will be on staff for each shift and 75 security cameras will be installed inside and outside of the building. By welcoming homeless New Yorkers as neighbors with warmth and empathy, we can build the strong community bonds that keep us all safe.

Is it bad for children for there to be a shelter nearby?

We all are concerned for the welfare and safety of our children. But the data do not support the belief that living close to a shelter puts children at risk. Child sexual abuse is almost exclusively committed by individuals known to the child--people who typically have access by virtue of being the same social class and status. Instead of fearing strangers, read up on evidence-based ways to protect your child.

Furthermore, we believe that the presence of homeless neighbors provides our children with an invaluable education on the diversity of the world in which they are growing to adulthood. Children’s sense of justice and service can be enriched by seeing you welcome individuals who have less than your family, and joining in to make them feel at home. Having a shelter in our neighborhood is an opportunity to build the world we wish we had, and to teach our children to help those in need with kindness and empathy. Nothing is more reassuring to our children than witnessing their parents being kind, being generous, being available to people who begin as strangers and become our friends. Nothing projects confidence and security with oneself like being open-hearted. 

We do not want our children shielded from the fact that many people live in poverty, and that a vastly disproportionate percentage of those people are Black and Brown. A trip to a food pantry or a canned goods drive at school are both worthwhile, but they are poor substitutes for creating personal alliances with those in need. A kind word, a joke exchanged, a moment’s pause for the petting of a dog--these are the gestures with which the community is built, and our children’s days should be made up of them.

What about the lawsuit? Is the shelter safe for residents?

People who oppose shelters in their neighborhood often use lawsuits as a tactic to try to stop them. Because the shelter siting process does not require approval from neighbors, lawsuits are common recourse for shelter opponents. Lawsuits like this one typically center on highly technical details of building, zoning, and fire codes--a group of shelter opponents may hire lawyers and technical experts to closely examine the shelter plans and look for any pretense to stop it. These lawsuits try to keep the city tied up in litigation for years and delay shelter plans, which is costly and can in some cases lead the shelter provider to abandon the project. 

Shelters already have to undergo multiple approval and certification processes before opening to ensure that they are safe and comply with regulations. These reviews go through city agencies like the Fire Department (FDNY) and the Department of Buildings (DOB), which reviews all construction applications, and the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), which certifies and inspects all homeless shelters in New York State. 

It’s essential that shelters are safe and up to standards, and we are glad that the shelter will undergo the necessary reviews before opening. It is also important to ask: if the “issues” that shelter opponents raise in their lawsuit were fixed, would they welcome the shelter to the neighborhood? And if they are truly concerned about shelter conditions in the city, is preventing the opening of a new shelter in their neighborhood the best way to address those conditions? Perhaps their advocacy could be redirected to helping people move into affordable permanent housing so we don’t need so many shelters.

Homeless New Yorkers have long been advocating for permanent housing options and changes to the shelter system. We encourage neighbors concerned about shelter conditions to join us in supporting that advocacy, while doing what you can to make the shelter coming to our neighborhood a success.

What if the shelter provider is bad? Isn’t the shelter system broken?

You don't have to love a particular shelter provider to believe that the people who live in that shelter deserve to be welcomed and supported by neighbors. We can and should welcome new neighbors, no matter what their housing status is and whether they are here permanently or temporarily. Every individual in our neighborhood deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.

Communities can engage with shelters while holding DHS and service providers accountable. On the Upper West Side last year, neighbors worked with one of the hotel shelters to provide activities such as spiritual walk-and-talks, AA meetings led by volunteer Licensed Social Workers, and life skills workshops. Having a shelter in your area is an opportunity for service, and to do something that makes a difference at a time when we may feel the world is unfair and unkind. Change begins in your backyard!