Things are getting ridiculously entertaining in New York City, where newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s supporters are already turning on him over one of his administration’s key policies, with East Village residents who overwhelmingly backed him in the election filing a lawsuit to try and block one of his key moves.
Particularly, the “Not in My Backyard” (NIMBY) residents of the East Village have sued him over his administration’s attempt to turn a building in their neighborhood into a temporary homeless shelter. The lawsuit was filed in the New York City Supreme Court on Monday, April 20. As could be expected, the situation led to very funny jokes about Mamdani and his liberal supporters online.
“It challenges the city’s hastily made and legally invalid decision to locate a new citywide homeless adult male intake center at 8 East 3rd Street without following any of the legal requirements that must precede such a significant and consequential decision,” the lawsuit filing provides, Fox News Digital reported.
Mayor Mamdani pushed back in a statement released by his office, saying, “My administration is focused on ensuring every New Yorker experiencing homelessness not only has access to shelter, but to spaces that are safe, humane and truly livable. We cannot accept a system that treats people without dignity or stability.”
Continuing, he added, “As we move forward, our city will double down on protecting the safety, continuity and quality of services — because every New Yorker deserves a secure place to rest, to recover and to rebuild their life with dignity.”
Further, his office described why the move is happening, saying, “The Department of Social Services (DSS) and Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will immediately implement an operational plan to vacate 30th Street and relocate the critical functions to other sites. There are approximately 250 individuals in the shelter, and the DSS is working to relocate these individuals by mid-March 2026.”
It added, “The City is maintaining the same level of shelter beds but transitioning services to safer facilities. Shelter intake will remain in Manhattan to ensure continuity of services. New intake for adult men will be at 8 E 3rd St, and intake for adult families, family units that don’t have any minor children, will be at 333 Bowery St. This will be effective beginning May 1st.”
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And, describing the number of expected facility residents, the statement added, “The Department of Social Services (DSS) and Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will immediately implement an operational plan to vacate 30th Street and relocate the critical functions to other sites. There are approximately 250 individuals in the shelter, and the DSS is working to relocate these individuals by mid-March 2026. The City is maintaining the same level of shelter beds but transitioning services to safer facilities.”
Conservatives online had a field day with the whole situation. “No one is more ‘not in my backyard’ than white progressives. This community voted for Mamdani in a landslide but don’t want to live with the consequences,” said Michael Henry, a former New York attorney general candidate. The East Village, for reference, backed Mamdani by a wide margin, giving him 70.1% of the vote.