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The $500 Million Promise Gone Wrong
A $500 million Upper West Side women’s shelter that was supposed to come with an on-site health clinic has instead brought drug use, public nudity and daily mayhem to a block with a popular playground, furious neighbors said.
The 200-bed Project Renewal shelter at 537 West 59th Street opened in May to house women grappling with addiction and serious mental illness. But locals say the facility opened without the promised clinic—leaving residents without needed care and families scared to use Gertrude Ederle Playground next door.
“It’s a huge problem. It’s right next to a playground,” neighbor Heather, who declined to give her last name, told The Post. “There are people shooting up and vomiting in the playground.”
What Neighbors Are Seeing Every Day
Since the shelter opened in May, residents of the normally quiet Upper West Side neighborhood report a dramatic deterioration in quality of life. The NYC women’s shelter has brought chaos to a community that once enjoyed peaceful evenings and safe outdoor recreation for children.
According to neighbors who spoke to The Post, the area around West 59th Street between West End and Amsterdam avenues has become a scene of daily chaos. Public drug use is rampant, with people reportedly “shooting up” in the playground itself. Public nudity has been reported, along with bizarre behavior that leaves families feeling unsafe.
“There are people shooting up and vomiting in the playground,” one neighbor told The Post. The Gertrude Ederle Playground, once a beloved destination for families with young children, has become a place parents avoid.
One area resident described the situation as increasingly desperate: “The block is really feeling the impacts and we are just scared for our safety.”
The NYC women’s shelter was intended to be a solution, but for many neighbors, it has become the source of the problem.
The Missing Clinic That Changed Everything
The NYC women’s shelter was supposed to open with a street-level clinic that would provide Suboxone—a medication used to treat opioid addiction—to residents and potentially the general public. This clinic, combined with mental health services, was meant to be a core part of the facility’s mission to help women recover.
But when the NYC women’s shelter opened in May, the clinic was nowhere to be found. Without on-site medical care, residents are left without needed treatment, potentially worsening the conditions that brought them to the shelter in the first place.
Parents also expressed concern about the smoking courtyard, which is located adjacent to the playground. “To place a smoking lounge next to a playground is unsafe—two smoking lounges,” one parent organizer told PIX11 News. “Exposing children to secondhand smoke.”
The absence of the promised clinic has been a major point of contention. Neighbors argue that if the NYC women’s shelter cannot provide basic medical care, it should not be operating next to a children’s playground.
A Playground Under Siege
The Gertrude Ederle Playground is a popular destination for families in the neighborhood, with dozens of children using it on any given day. But the proximity to the NYC women’s shelter has transformed the once-idyllic space.
“Everywhere in the city, people with families live. Everywhere in the city, there are schools,” said Sara Lind, a mother of two and former member of the local community board. “There’s no reason that somehow the Upper West Side is special and exempt from caring for our neighbors.”
But opponents argue there’s a difference between caring for the homeless and placing a facility for mentally ill and drug-addicted individuals directly next to a children’s playground. “In a city where it’s illegal to sell wine next door to a playground, Project Renewal wants you to believe it’s safe to bring in drug-addicted people from all over the city,” said Rachel Nazarian, a mother of three.
Nazarian also raised concerns about Project Renewal’s track record, noting the organization’s “infamous for the numerous murders and deaths from negligence” in other shelters.
Parents who once gathered at the playground with their toddlers now avoid the area entirely. The NYC women’s shelter has effectively stolen a community resource from the families who need it most.
The Community Fights Back
Community opposition to the NYC women’s shelter has been fierce and well-organized. The Friends of Ederle Playground launched a petition that garnered over 2,200 signatures, demanding an investigation into the $500 million contract and calling for the shelter to be relocated.
The group hired attorney Brad Gerstman, who sent a letter to the Department of Investigation requesting a probe into the contract approval process. “The community rightfully believes that where there is smoke, there is fire,” Gerstman wrote.
In June 2023, nearly fifty parents and local residents rallied against the NYC women’s shelter, holding signs and voicing their frustration. Former Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who now serves on the City Council, has opposed the project since its inception. “I did not support this as Borough President and I do not support it as Council Member,” Brewer said in a statement. “I have urged the city at every opportunity to turn this into permanent housing.”
The community has made it clear: they want the NYC women’s shelter relocated to a more appropriate location, or they want the promised services delivered immediately.
Project Renewal’s Response
Project Renewal has defended the NYC women’s shelter, emphasizing its decades of experience helping homeless New Yorkers. A spokesperson released the following statement:
“We are excited to work with Hudson Companies to construct this modern, purpose-built women’s shelter, with robust health and social services to help our clients on their paths to permanent housing. Our work here will build on our 55 years of experience providing health care, shelter, and wraparound support to our fellow New Yorkers.”
The organization also addressed safety concerns, noting that security will patrol the NYC women’s shelter and its vicinity, including the park. All shelter residents have a curfew of 11 p.m. and will not be allowed visitors. The smoking courtyard, they note, has been designed with “no sight line into the park.”
The NYC Department of Homeless Services also stood by the project, saying: “We are committed to ensuring that every community has the critical social safety net resources to help their neighbors in need. This high-quality shelter will be the first-of-its-kind in this community offering women experiencing homelessness the critical opportunity to receive the support they need and deserve to get back on their feet.”
Despite these assurances, neighbors remain unconvinced. The NYC women’s shelter has yet to deliver on its promises, and the chaos continues.
The Bigger Picture: NYC’s Homeless Crisis
The controversy over the NYC women’s shelter on West 59th Street comes amid a record-breaking homelessness crisis in New York City. The city’s main municipal shelter system provided nightly accommodation for a staggering 68,884 homeless individuals in December 2022, including 21,805 homeless children. With more than half of shelter residents now being newly arrived migrants, the pressure on the system is immense.
“We absolutely support a more manageable, more manageable in size, location for affordable housing, for supportive housing, job training true health care facility to help women—not something that will just warehouse and perpetuate the system,” said Heather Groeger, a parent organizer.
Brewer echoed this concern: “Why are we doing another shelter? Can’t we make it permanent housing?”
The NYC women’s shelter represents a larger debate about how the city addresses homelessness. Are shelters the answer, or should resources be directed toward permanent supportive housing? The West 59th Street controversy has become a flashpoint in that debate.
What Happens Next?
The future of the NYC women’s shelter remains uncertain. Community opposition shows no signs of abating, with parents vowing to continue their fight. Gerstman has reportedly drafted legislation that would prevent homeless shelters from being built next to playgrounds.
Meanwhile, Project Renewal faces the challenge of making good on its promises while addressing legitimate community concerns. The missing clinic must be opened to provide the care residents desperately need. Security must be improved to prevent the drug use, public nudity and bizarre behavior that has plagued the neighborhood.
For the families who live nearby, the situation is simple: they want their playground back. And they want their children to be safe.
“If I can’t feel safe letting my son and daughter play at the playground, what’s the point of living here?” one neighbor asked.
The NYC women’s shelter was supposed to be a solution. Instead, it has created a new set of problems that affect everyone involved—the residents who need care, the neighbors who want safety, and the city that must find a way forward.
Conclusion: A System That Failed Everyone
The NYC women’s shelter at 537 West 59th Street was supposed to be a model of compassionate care—a $500 million investment in helping some of the city’s most vulnerable women. Instead, it has become a source of fear and frustration for an entire neighborhood.
Neighbors report drug use in the playground, public nudity and daily chaos. The promised clinic never opened, leaving residents without the care they need. And children who once played safely at Gertrude Ederle Playground now must navigate around people struggling with addiction and mental illness.
Everyone agrees something needs to change. The question is whether the city, Project Renewal and the community can find a solution that works for everyone involved. The NYC women’s shelter stands as a cautionary tale of good intentions gone wrong.
