Supporters said the new shelter will provide safe housing for unhoused people who are already a visible presence on the Upper East Side. City Councilmember Ben Kallos, who worked to bring the shelter to the neighborhood, mentioned a man he sees on the street most days on East 93rd Street and Second Avenue.

"Does the man on 93rd have to stay there for the rest of his life, or can we offer him something two blocks away?" Kallos said.