Homeless New Yorkers surprised by Midtown shelter closure, but say it needs fixes

Outside the massive Midtown homeless shelter that the Mamdani administration plans to shutter this month, about a dozen men carrying suitcases and large plastic bags were boarding a yellow school bus on Thursday morning.

They said they were being transferred to a Brooklyn shelter as the city moves quickly to empty the 400,000 square foot facility. Most of them said they only recently heard about the site's planned closure.

“ Oh wow, now that I need the help, it's like, wow, they closed it,” said Steven Roman, 31.

Administration officials said they would relocate people to other sites and open new shelters in the next six months. They said the shelter, known as Bellevue, is in a severe state of disrepair and will undergo a major renovation.

The Mamdani administration said the site's future is still being discussed. The city-owned site also functions as the single point of entry for single men and adult families who are seeking a bed for the night.

City officials said those intake services would remain in Manhattan but relocate to two other shelters downtown.