FAR ROCKAWAY — The city has nixed a plan to open a men’s homeless shelter on Beach 8th Street after local politicians complained about its proximity to several schools, officials said.
The plan to open the shelter in a former nursing home in Far Rockaway that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 was announced Oct. 20 by the community board and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder.
The Department of Homeless Services said at the time that they were “looking at every viable site as we continue to meet our moral and legal obligation to shelter those in need.”
But the plan was pulled Oct. 30 after a meeting with local politicians and the mayor, officials said.
The proposed location was close to five schools — P.S. 197, The Torah Academy for Girls, Torah Academy for Girls High School, Yeshiva of Far Rockaway and Bnois Bais Yaakov-Far Rockaway.
“After hearing the special concerns of Rockaway residents, DHS will not be siting a second shelter on the peninsula,” a spokesman for DHS said Thursday.
The city opened an adult family shelter in Arverne in July to meet the rapidly increasing demands of its homeless population, which is currently at 57,540, according to the most recent data.
That includes 7,958 single men, statistics show.
