Queens residents decry plans for homeless shelter

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - New York City's Department of Homeless Services wants to start housing families at a hotel in Long Island City. But people who live in the neighborhood are pushing back. they say they already have more than their fair share of homeless in their community.

It was a heated meeting with the community on Thursday. Perhaps that is to be expected when the city tries to open three homeless shelters in a matter of a few blocks of a neighborhood. Blissville is a neighborhood sandwiched between Long Island City and Sunnyside in Queens. Officials from the DHS came to listen to the community. They got an earful.

If the conversion of the Fairfield Inn goes forward, 154 adult homeless families will move in. Which means the homeless in Blissville will actually outnumber local residents here.

DHS officials did their best to answer questions. Jackie Ray of DHS said the goal is to help adults stabilize their lives and move back to the neighborhoods that they come from. DHS Administrator Joslyn Carter said the focus of the department is to help the residents move from shelters to permanent housing.

Residents say they fear for their safety. Some said they are already having problems.