Queens residents outraged over homeless shelter plan

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - When Rainaldo and Daisy Montalvo moved from Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to Maspeth, Queens, 6 years ago, they did it with their two young girls in mind. Now their community and the life they envision for the girls feels like it could be lost if a proposal goes through to convert a Holiday Inn not far from where they live into a homeless shelter for 110 families.

So they marched into The Knockdown Center, typically used for art and entertainment. Fire was in the air this night.

By 7:01, just minutes after starting, residents turned their backs on Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Steven Banks. They protested in the name of their children, their parks, and their public safety. They've been out in front of the hotel. They've written letters and researched on their own.

And they showed up livid, maybe even enraged. And they are not happy with the mayor, calling his ideas short-sighted. Hearing about a move-in date of October 1, residents in the neighborhood are unhinged.

Council Member Elizabeth Crowley filed a lawsuit against the city in regards to the proposed shelter.