Residents of East Elmhurst are protesting plans to convert a local hotel into a homeless shelter.
Members of the East Elmhurst Corona Alliance rallied outside of the Marriott Courtyard hotel on Ditmars Boulevard near 90th Street Wednesday.
They say six hotels in the area have already been completely, or partially, converted into homeless shelters.
Opponents of the proposal, including a former state senator, say putting more homeless facilities in the neighborhood is unfair to residents and will hurt the local economy.
"This is what I would call social engineering in the negative," said organizer and former state Senator Hiram Monserrate. "They're doing the wrong thing. They need to find real affordable housing for the homeless and not try to put people in a hotel room and call that a home. It's bad for the community, and it's bad for the individuals that need a home."
"This is not a dumping ground. What they are doing here is wrong," said Talea Wufka, organizer with the East Elmhurst Corona Alliance. "We do not need two more shelters. It's ridiculous."
Meanwhile, sources tell NY1 the Department of Homeless Services has no plans to open a shelter in the neighborhood. They say there are two shelters and one temporary facility in East Elmhurst.