Residents in Greenwood Heights are continuing to pressure officials to halt a proposed 200-bed men's shelter in their neighborhood, citing the already large number of shelters operating in the area.

Businesses say the existing homeless issue is already creating problems for them, including workers at a nearby bakery, who say they no longer feel safe coming to the businesses at night - or a local 24/7 gym that had to add fingerprint IDs and multiple cameras after homeless men were found sleeping inside overnight.

"It's completely different walking here at night as a woman. I have workers here, because it is mostly female, who are afraid to take the subway, workers who have been assaulted coming in," said Aladdin Bakers COO Theresa Watkinson.

In August, Rep. Dan Goldman and Councilmember Alexis Aviles called on the city to take a second look at the project, citing the city's fairness doctrine on evenly distributing these sites throughout neighborhoods.

Residents also raised concerns over an existing day care center already on the same street. It's a short walk from the proposed shelter site currently under construction that has an expected opening date in 2026, according to the Department of Social Services.

"I don't think it's good here. I don't think it's a good place, not safe," said Lucrecia, who takes her grandson to the pre-K center daily.

"This new transitional housing facility will provide critical capacity and dedicated, on-site services to support New Yorkers experiencing homelessness on their path to stability and permanency, and we hope and expect local elected officials and community leaders to warmly welcome such efforts," a spokesperson for DHS wrote in a statement.

The statement went on to say that "DHS is committed to equitably siting shelters across the city, and we have prioritized the opening/development of sites in communities with no or limited shelter resources."

Residents will be speaking out against the project at a Community Board 7 meeting on Monday night.