NYC’s largest men’s homeless shelter to close this month
Credit: Carl Mikoy on Flickr
New York City’s largest men’s homeless shelter will shut down this month because of the building’s deteriorating condition. As first reported by Gothamist, the Mamdani administration plans to close the city-owned Bellevue Shelter on East 30th Street in Kips Bay in mid-March, relocating 250 residents to allow for work to be done on the building. The shelter’s intake services will move elsewhere in Manhattan, and several new shelters are expected to open over the next six months.
The site, which also serves as the entry point for single men and adult families seeking emergency shelter in NYC, was converted from Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric ward to emergency housing for single men in 1984. The building, which dates to 1931, can host up to 850 people.
The property has a long history of fire safety violations, building-code issues, and incidents of violence, according to The City. Portions of the building have also been closed at times due to facility problems.
In 2008, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg attempted to close the site, and the city’s Economic Development Corporation later tried to convert it into a luxury hotel and conference center, though those plans were eventually abandoned.
At the time, critics opposed the city’s plan to relocate the shelter’s intake for homeless men to a site in Crown Heights, arguing that most street-homeless individuals live in Manhattan and would be less likely to travel to Brooklyn to seek services.
The Mamdani administration says intake for homeless men will move to 8 East Third Street, while adult families will go to 333 Bowery starting May 1. All remaining Bellevue residents will be temporarily relocated to a Brooklyn shelter until more permanent placements are arranged.
Intake shelters are intended to temporarily house residents until the city arranges placements. While city officials say residents at intake shelters stay for an average of three weeks, some homeless advocates contend that many men have remained in Bellevue for months longer.
Future plans for the Bellevue site remain unclear, with the city saying discussions are ongoing. The city intends to maintain the same level of shelter beds but transition services to a safer facility. The building is expected to close completely by the end of April.
The city’s Department of Homeless Services will also maintain a small presence at the Bellevue facility for at least a year after it closes to redirect anyone who comes seeking services to the new location.
“My administration is focused on ensuring every New Yorker experiencing homelessness not only has access to shelter, but to spaces that are safe, humane and truly livable. We cannot accept a system that treats people without dignity or stability,” Mamdani said.
“As we move forward, our city will double down on protecting the safety, continuity and quality of services—because every New Yorker deserves a secure place to rest, to recover and to rebuild their life with dignity.”
The closure comes as the Mamdani administration recently announced plans to shutter the city’s last remaining emergency migrant shelter in the South Bronx by the end of the year, according to Gothamist.
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