Hundreds of residents marched along Jericho Turnpike in Bellerose Saturday to send a message to New York City officials about homeless people being put up in local hotels.
New York City's Homeless Services Department has been using hotels to meet their legal obligation to shelter the homeless, including two hotels on the Queens-Nassau County border.
Protesters argue that it's unfair to both the homeless people and to neighbors in the area.
"There have been things happening in our community, robberies, break-ins, prostitution, and all of this started happening when all of these facilities started going up," says Bob Contegni, of Bellerose.
Protesters say the homeless persons who are staying at local hotels also aren't getting the services they need.
Several of Nassau's public officials, including state Sen. Jack Martins, sent a joint letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio Friday asking him to reconsider the plan.
"I believe this was a mistake on the part of the city and certainly the mayor," says Martins.
A spokesperson for the mayor said, "Opponents of our efforts to house the homeless have now trained their sights on homeless toddlers. It's disgusting and dangerous, and our city must stand up against it."
The city spokesperson would not say how many homeless people are being housed in hotels throughout the city or in the two hotels bordering Nassau County.