10/29/2026
PLEASE READ, SHARE AND TAKE ACTION
PROPOSED 129-BED SHELTER AT 118-08 JAMAICA AVENUE
We are sharing the findings of The Richmond Hill Preservation Coalition comprised of Richmond Hill neighbors and businesses who reviewed the approved plans for this proposed shelter.
The group is consulting a legal expert about these concerns. They are also asking residents, parents and business owners to contact their elected officials and the responsible agencies now.
Their review raises serious questions about possible code violations, living conditions, mental-health services and oversight. These concerns need written answers before anyone moves into this building.
WITH FOUR SCHOOLS NEARBY, SAFETY AND OVERSIGHT MUST COME FIRST
The City must explain how this location was evaluated and how the shelter would operate safely.
If this facility is intended to serve men with mental illness, it must have proper living conditions, trained staff, strong supervision, access to treatment and a clear plan for mental-health emergencies.
School leaders, parents, neighbors and businesses deserve to see that plan. It must address school arrival and dismissal, safe pedestrian access, emergency response and a direct contact who responds promptly to concerns.
The men placed in this shelter also deserve protection. Poor conditions and weak oversight can allow preventable problems to become crises inside the building and in the surrounding community.
WHAT THEIR REVIEW FOUND
• Sleeping space below the State minimum. The review identifies sleeping space below the State’s square-foot minimum on every residential floor.
• Not enough room to sit and relax. The plans show only a 400-square-foot leisure room for 129 men. The review identifies this as far below the State requirement. The room would accommodate about 27 people at a time. Where would everyone else spend their day?
• No individual secure storage shown. The plans show no personal lockers or wardrobes near the beds. The only listed resident storage is a shared room in the sub-cellar, providing less than two square feet per man.
• One shower for as many as 27 men. At ten minutes per person, one round of showers would take four and a half hours, before cleaning or changing time. Residents could be unable to shower before work, job interviews or medical appointments.
• Little privacy. Beds would be separated by walls only four feet high.
• Common spaces underground. Dining, recreation and laundry would be below ground, without daylight.
• Train noise near sleeping rooms. The plans do not list a sound rating for windows facing the elevated J/Z train.
• Unanswered questions about care. No dedicated exam room, medication room, nurse’s station or private therapy room is shown. The agencies must explain where and how residents would receive care.
• Unanswered questions about supervision. One entrance screening station is shown, with no staff stations on the sleeping floors. The operator must explain how staff would supervise the building day and night.
POSSIBLE CODE VIOLATIONS REQUIRE AN IMMEDIATE AUDIT
The group’s objection letter identifies possible failures involving:
• Toilets, sinks and showers.
• Sleeping space and recreation space.
• Individual lockable storage.
• Emergency exit separation.
• Safe routes from exits to the street.
• Window openings and ventilation.
• Dining-room and sleeping-floor classifications.
• Cellar use and zoning floor-area limits.
• Lot coverage, parking calculations and bicycle parking.
The review also identifies outdated code references and references to hotel suites, pool equipment and floors that do not exist in this five-story building.
DOB must explain which requirements apply, answer each finding in writing and require correction of every confirmed violation.
WEEKEND CONSTRUCTION ALSO NEEDS INVESTIGATION
Neighbors report weekend construction without the required authorization. DOB must check the permits and after-hours approvals, inspect reported activity and stop any unauthorized work.
THESE POTENTIAL LIVING CONDITIONS RAISE SERIOUS MENTAL-HEALTH CONCERNS
People living with mental illness need safe conditions, rest, privacy and access to care. Crowding, noise, limited personal space and nowhere secure to keep belongings raise serious questions about whether this building can meet those needs.
The City must explain how residents would receive treatment, medication support, daily activities and help during a crisis. Families, schools and businesses must also receive clear answers about safety and accountability.
PLEASE BE PROACTIVE
Call and email the offices listed below. Share the group’s objection letter. Ask elected officials to open a constituent case and give you the name of the staff member handling it.
Demand:
1. An immediate, full audit of the approved plans.
2. Written answers to every concern in the objection letter.
3. Correction of every confirmed code violation before occupancy.
4. Public disclosure of the operator, approved capacity, staffing, mental-health services and safety plans.
5. Investigation of reported unauthorized weekend construction.
6. The public meeting the community was promised, with agency decision-makers, the operator, school representatives, residents and businesses present.
WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU CALL OR EMAIL
“I am a Richmond Hill resident or business owner contacting you about the proposed 129-bed shelter at 118-08 Jamaica Avenue, DOB Application Q01160326-P1 / -I1.
“Concerned neighbors and businesses have reviewed the approved plans and identified serious questions about code compliance, living conditions and oversight.
“With four schools nearby, we need proper care for shelter residents and a clear safety plan for the surrounding community. Please demand an immediate audit, written agency responses and a public meeting before occupancy.
“Please tell me who will handle this request and when I can expect a response.”
Keep copies of your emails and replies. Report suspected unauthorized construction to 311 while it is happening. Give the date, time and activity observed. Save the service request number and share it with your elected officials.
Please share these findings and make your voice heard. Shelter residents and the community around them deserve safe conditions, proper oversight and public accountability.
Include these contacts when sharing:
Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.
Phone: 718-738-1111
Email: [email protected]
Assemblymember David I. Weprin
Phone: 718-805-2381
Email: [email protected]
Council Member Lynn Schulman
Phone: 718-544-8800
Email: [email protected]
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards
Phone: 718-286-3000
Email: [email protected]
Queens Community Board 9
Phone: 718-286-2686
Email: [email protected]
NYC Department of Social Services
Constituent Services
Phone: 718-557-1399
Email: [email protected]
Contact the DSS Commissioner
NYC Department of Homeless Services
Phone: 212-361-7963
DHS contact page
Ask for the team responsible for this proposed shelter.
NYC Department of Buildings
Queens Borough Office
Phone: 718-286-7620
DOB contact page
Ask for the Borough Commissioner and plan examination staff.
NYS OTDA
Shelter Oversight and Compliance
Phone: 518-486-4040
Email: [email protected]
Mayor’s Office
Phone: 311
Send a message to the Mayor
NYC311 Construction Complaints
Phone: 311
Report suspected unauthorized construction
Keep your service request number for follow-up.
The drawing findings are reported in the group’s objection letter and remain subject to agency review.
