Community Education Council District 30 (CEC 30) is calling on Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Social Services Commissioner Erin Dalton to immediately halt the proposed conversion of the Royal Stay Hotel family shelter into a shelter for single men—a decision that would displace approximately 80 families and disrupt the education and stability of their children.

This is not an isolated incident. Families in our district and in our neighboring district, Community School District 24, have already been displaced under similar circumstances earlier this year, forcing children to leave their schools, their teachers, and the support systems they rely on. We cannot allow this harm to continue.

Community School District 30 has been one of the leading districts in supporting students in temporary housing. Our schools, many of them community schools, provide critical wraparound services including mental health support, bilingual services, healthcare access, and afterschool programming. These are not easily replaced. Uprooting children from these environments, especially with fewer than 60 school days remaining, will have lasting academic and emotional consequences.

We believe in the City’s responsibility to provide shelter for all New Yorkers. However, that responsibility must be carried out equitably. Families with school-aged children should not bear the burden of shelter system capacity challenges while other wealthier communities are left untouched.

CEC 30 has formally outlined these concerns in a letter to Mayor Mamdani and DSS Commissioner Dalton. We invite you to read the letter below and join us in demanding that the City:

• Halt the planned conversion of the Royal Stay Hotel Family Shelter
• Prevent the displacement of families
• Commit to a fair, citywide distribution of shelters
• Protect the educational stability of children

Sign this petition to stand with our families and protect our students.

*******Community Education Council District 30 Letter************

April 1, 2026

The Honorable Zohran K. Mamdani
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

Commissioner Erin Dalton
New York City Department of Social Services

RE: Objection to the Proposed Conversion of the Royal Stay Hotel Family Shelter (38-30 Crescent Street)

Dear Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Dalton,

On behalf of the Community Education Council for District 30, we write to express our strong opposition to the proposed conversion of the Royal Stay Hotel at 38-30 Crescent Street from a family shelter to a shelter for single men—a decision that would displace approximately 80 families and disrupt the education and stability of their children.

This proposal is not an isolated action. It reflects a troubling and ongoing pattern of shelter policy decisions that place the burden of system capacity on the backs of families with children. Similar actions—such as the displacement of families from the CityView Inn this past February—have already resulted in significant educational disruption, forcing dozens of students to leave their schools and communities mid-year.

We cannot allow this harm to be repeated.

Students residing at the Royal Stay Hotel are enrolled in District 30 schools, many of which are community schools that provide critical wraparound services, including mental health support, bilingual services, healthcare access, afterschool programs, and academic intervention. These supports are not easily replicated and are essential to helping students and families experiencing housing instability succeed. Uprooting these children, particularly with fewer than 60 school days remaining in the academic year, will have immediate and lasting consequences on their educational progress, emotional well-being, and sense of stability.

While we recognize the City’s responsibility to provide shelter for all New Yorkers, this must not come at the expense of children and families. Housing single adults should not require displacing families who have already established stability in their schools and communities. This approach is inequitable, avoidable, and harmful.

We are particularly concerned that:

• Families are being displaced with little transparency or meaningful community engagement as this displacement appears to be scheduled during Spring Break;

• Relocation plans do not necessarily guarantee proximity to students’ current schools;

• The City continues to rely on transportation solutions that are already strained and unreliable; and

• There is no clear commitment to minimizing educational disruption for students in temporary housing.

Therefore, CEC 30 respectfully, but firmly calls on your offices to:

1. Immediately halt the planned conversion of the Royal Stay Hotel and prevent the displacement of the families currently residing there;

2. Commit to a fair, citywide distribution of shelter resources that does not disproportionately impact families with school-aged children;

3. Identify alternative sites for single adult shelters that do not require the removal of families; and

4. Establish clearer interagency protocols between DSS and NYC Public Schools to ensure that Community Education Councils, Principals, and Superintendents are notified in advance of any proposed shelter changes that could impact students.

Our council stands in solidarity with the families at the Royal Stay Hotel and with the broader District 30 community. We urge the Administration to center the needs of children in all decisions related to shelter policy and to work collaboratively with education stakeholders to prevent further disruption to students’ lives.

We would welcome the opportunity for the relevant District 30 stakeholders, including our Community Education Council, to meet with your offices to discuss solutions that uphold both the City’s shelter obligations and its responsibility to protect the educational stability of its most vulnerable students.

Sincerely,
Community Education Council 30