Bonsell Commends Menin For Standing With UES, Calls For Overhaul Of Broken Shelter Siting Process

Alina Bonsell, candidate for New York State Senate District 28, is calling for an overhaul of New York’s homeless shelter siting process as opposition grows to the proposed shelter at 1587 Third Avenue near East 89th Street.

Bonsell, who ran against City Council Speaker Julie Menin last year, credited Menin for speaking out against the location, while saying the controversy exposes a much larger problem.

“I ran against Julie Menin, and I give credit where it’s due,” Bonsell said. “She listened to residents and spoke up. But this is bigger than one shelter. Communities are being brought into the conversation after major decisions are already underway. The process is broken.”

Bonsell said concerns extend beyond community notice to shelter safety and oversight, particularly when facilities are placed near schools and residential communities.

“Residents deserve to know what is being proposed, who will operate it and what safeguards will be in place before government moves forward,” Bonsell said. “We also need meaningful identity and background verification rather than a system that relies heavily on self-disclosed information at intake.”

Bonsell and her team have drafted the Shelter Safety and Accountability Act, a proposed amendment to New York’s Social Services Law Article 2-A that she plans to bring to Albany when the Legislature returns.

The proposal centers on four reforms:

• Community Voice: Advance notice, public hearings and meaningful community input before shelter agreements are finalized.

• Neighborhood Safety: Stronger safeguards for shelters near schools, childcare facilities and other sensitive locations.

• Verification & Accountability: Meaningful identity and background verification at intake.

• Transparency & Oversight: Greater scrutiny of shelter operators, contracts and taxpayer spending.

“We shouldn’t have to fight this battle shelter by shelter,” Bonsell said. “We need a system that actually helps homeless New Yorkers while protecting neighborhoods and giving residents a real voice.”

The East 89th Street proposal has mobilized thousands of residents and community advocates seeking greater transparency and public input. Bonsell said their efforts reflect a recurring problem: residents having to organize extensively simply to get government’s attention.

She also cited Upper East Side resident Steven Rozencwaig, founder of Protect Our Citizens NYC, who began advocating for faster mental-health intervention under Kendra’s Law after his wife was assaulted by a mentally ill individual. Despite repeated attempts by Rozencwaig and his organization to meet with Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright regarding proposed reforms, those requests have not resulted in a meeting.

“When constituents come forward with a serious problem and a proposed solution, elected officials should listen,” Bonsell said. “Residents shouldn’t have to chase the people they elected to represent them.”

Bonsell said that lack of responsiveness is at the heart of her challenge to 24-year incumbent State Senator Liz Krueger.

“After 24 years, residents shouldn’t still have to fight to be heard,” Bonsell said. “Our neighbors are organizing, gathering thousands of signatures and bringing real concerns to government, while the leadership we should be getting from our State Senator is missing. That is the neglect I’m running to change.”

Bonsell said her proposed legislation reflects the approach she would bring to Albany: listening to residents and turning neighborhood concerns into legislative reform.

“I’m your neighbor, not a career politician. I’m a Pragmatic Republican, not MAGA, and I’m also running on my independent Block Mamdani line,” Bonsell said. “After 24 years, the leadership we should be getting from our State Senator is missing. That is the neglect I’m running to change.”