A state judge has temporarily blocked a contentious city initiative to move hundreds of homeless men into Manhattan’s East Village, following a lawsuit filed by local residents against Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The decision on Wednesday by Judge Sabrina Kraus has effectively postponed the opening of the planned intake shelter on Third Street, which was originally scheduled for May 1.

Judge Kraus has scheduled a court date for May 7, where both city officials and East Village residents will have the opportunity to present their arguments and seek resolution.

The proposed shelter on Third Street, along with another site on the Bowery, was intended to replace the Bellevue homeless shelter, which the Mamdani administration aims to close by the end of the month.

However, the plan met resistance from a group of East Village residents who filed the lawsuit. They argue that city officials have expedited the process without adequate consultation or consideration of community concerns.

But a coalition of East Village residents sued to halt the opening, contending city officials rushed through the process.