Dozens of local residents staged a protest outside a planned mental health center for youth in East Elmhurst last week amid concerns over community safety and potential future uses for the site.
The rally took place in response to the Our Lady of Fatima parish’s decision to convert a former convent at 25-56 80th St. into a facility run by mental health and disability non-profit YAI.
YAI’s Children’s Crisis Residence, operated in collaboration with the New York State Office of Mental Health, is slated to open in January 2026 and will provide short-term respite for young people aged between eight and 17 who are struggling with mental health issues.
Despite reassurances from YAI, local elected officials, and the Diocese of Brooklyn, community members say they remain wary, especially after a mistaken lease agreement created confusion over who the facility would ultimately serve.
Concerned residents and parishioners pointed to the original lease agreement for the space that initially included the phrase “chemically dependent individuals.” Some residents said the language indicated that the site might eventually serve adults struggling with addiction.
The Diocese of Brooklyn acknowledged the error but said the mistake has since been corrected and no longer mentions chemical dependency. The Diocese, along with elected officials and YAI, have repeatedly stated that the center will be limited to individuals under the age of 18. They have also consistently stated that the site will not serve as a drug rehabilitation facility.
Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, who has met with YAI about the project, confirmed the facility will be limited to individuals under 18 and will not serve as a drug rehabilitation center or long-term housing site. She emphasized that residents will not be allowed to leave the building without supervision and said the space will focus on youth coping with bullying, disabilities, or emotional trauma.
“Bullying is a big thing,” González-Rojas said. “As a mom of a teenager, I know that’s a sad reality amongst young people. The center is really to divert young people from emergency rooms while still providing stability and guidance.”
González-Rojas also pointed to YAI’s existing facility in Astoria that serves adults with disabilities, noting that it has operated without incident. She described the organization as “a critical resource” and said she was surprised by the intensity of the opposition in East Elmhurst.
The Diocese of Brooklyn has also stated that the facility will have staff on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Still, residents and parishioners continue to raise concerns about the future use of the site.
At a rally staged outside the nearby Our Lady of Fatima K-8 school at 25-38 80th St. last Tuesday, residents alleged that YAI and the Brooklyn Diocese have still not amended the lease despite reassurances to the contrary from the Brooklyn Diocese.
They further contended that the lease contains no guarantee that YAI will remain the tenant for the full 30-year term, raising concerns that the space will be turned over to an adult facility at some point in the future.
Organizers described the June 17 rally as “only the beginning” of protests and demonstrations against the planned facility.
Community members have formed the “ElmJack Guardians Civic Association” in response to the planned facility as part of efforts to “protect quality of life” in the local community.
The Brooklyn Diocese said the error in the lease agreement was corrected on May 1. YAI has yet to respond to a request for comment but pushed back strongly against concerns last month when concerned residents launched a petition against the planned center. More than 1,000 people have signed the online petition at the time of writing.
Mike Pinto, a lifelong East Elmhurst resident and member of the Our Lady of Fatima parish council, said last month that the petition aims to amend the language of the lease as well as include clear stipulations that the space will never serve adults, chemically dependent individuals, or sex offenders.
“The building is right next to Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Academy,” Pinto told this publication last month. “There are certain populations the community never wants to see in that facility.”
Residents voiced extreme fears that the facility could one day house not just adults with addictions, but also individuals described in the petition as “criminally insane,” sex offenders, and even pedophiles—claims that YAI and the Diocese of Brooklyn categorically deny.
YAI said the center will offer a safe alternative to emergency rooms or inpatient psychiatric stays, providing youth with counseling, stability and a supportive, home-like setting.
“YAI has proactively engaged with local officials and community members to ensure transparency, address concerns, and clarify the program’s mission,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “The lease is very clear on its intended use as a temporary residence for children. YAI is fully committed to honoring that purpose.”
Residents also raised concerns last month about what they described as inconsistent or unclear communication from YAI and the parish.
Pinto said initial explanations from parish priest Fr. Darrell Da Costa shifted over time, from describing the facility as a home for youth with intellectual disabilities to stating it would serve emotionally disturbed youth without developmental disabilities.
The issue came to a head at a packed North Queens Homeowners Civic Association meeting on May 8, where several residents said they were not given the opportunity to voice their concerns.
In response, the Diocese of Brooklyn said Fr. Da Costa shared information in the parish bulletin back in February and reiterated that the amended lease clearly states the facility’s exclusive purpose: short-term care for youth in crisis.
Pinto again called for clarity at the June 17 rally and accused Our Lady of Fatima parish of misleading parents and children at the K-8 school, parishioners at the church and members of the surrounding community about the planned facility.
“We demand that these issues be clarified and that both YAI, Our Lady of Fatima and the Diocese be transparent with the entire community,” Pinto said. “We are prepared to fight to protect our community.”
