A $500 million women’s shelter on the Upper West Side, billed as including an on-site health clinic, has instead become a source of alarm for neighbors who say the block near a busy playground is now plagued by drug use, public nudity and constant disorder.
The 200-bed Project Renewal facility at 537 West 59th St. began operating in May, with a mission to serve women dealing with addiction and serious mental illness.
Residents say the shelter opened without the clinic they had been told to expect, leaving vulnerable women without critical services and making nearby families wary of using Gertrude Ederle Playground next door.
“It’s a huge problem. It’s right next to a playground,” Heather, a neighbor who declined to share her last name, told The Post. “There are people shooting up and vomiting in the playground.”
One teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, said her school has started taking children to a more distant playground to steer clear of the disruption.
“The reason why we haven’t been coming here as often is because of the women,” the teacher said. “When you have little ones running around, it becomes unsafe.”
According to the teacher, syringes have turned up in the park, while shelter residents have allegedly been seen naked and, at times, creating makeshift encampments on the sidewalk.
“Obviously they don’t get the help they deserve,” she said. “These people are not just struggling financially. They’re struggling mentally.”
Heather said she has seen residents wandering the area in bizarre outfits — including one woman dressed as a devil and another in a towel and ski goggles.
“They’re getting half a billion dollars to do this, and clearly they’re not providing the services they’re supposed to,” she said.
Project Renewal’s financial records show the nonprofit received nearly $104 million in government grants during fiscal year 2025.
A spokesperson for the Department of Social Services, which manages the shelter contract, said the location is already providing the women with much-needed services.
“This recently opened site is currently equipped with clinicians, case managers, and other social services staff to address the complex needs of each client and help them on their unique path to recovery and permanent housing,” the spokesperson said.
But Stacy Lefton, who has lived in the area for 17 years, said the once-quiet area has become unrecognizable.
“This is a family neighborhood,” she said. “I see the women fighting with each other.”
Lefton said ambulances are called to the shelter sometimes as much as four times a day. Over one recent weekend, she said, a woman spent hours outside without pants or underwear.
Lefton also, during a walk with her dog, watched another woman sit in the street, pull out a needle, inject herself and pass out.
Lefton said shelter workers told her to call 911 when she raised concerns.
“It was so scary. I ran home and called 911 and reported she needed help,” she said.
“This is so counterproductive,” she said. “These people need to be in inpatient facilities. What they’re doing here is not appropriate at all.”
City Councilwoman Gale Brewer said her office has received dozens of complaints about the shelter and she recently met with Project Renewal and the city Department of Social Services about the issues, including about whether the population could be adjusted to include women with less potent needs.
“I was not supportive of this, but we’re trying to deal with it,” Brewer said.
Brewer said she also wants answers about when the clinic will finally open.
“It’s not open, and that’s a problem,” she said. “I have yet to get a date.”
Project Renewal’s plans for the shelter included a 1,500-square-foot clinic offering primary care, behavioral health services and other treatment to shelter residents and community members.
The spokesperson from the DSS said the clinic is still waiting on government approvals.
A spokesperson for Project Renewal did not respond to an inquiry from The Post.
The group Friends of Ederle Playground asked the city Department of Investigation in 2023 to probe the $500 million, 40-year government contract awarded during the final months of the de Blasio administration.
