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Tired of paying for NYC shelters to house migrants? Advocates say their plan would save $3 billion.
By
Arun Venugopal
Published Aug 23, 2023
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Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky
By
Arun Venugopal
Published Aug 23, 2023
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A new report estimates that New York City could save $3 billion a year by pulling asylum-seekers out of emergency shelters and providing them with housing vouchers instead.
The report, issued jointly by the New York Immigration Coalition and Win, a major provider of shelters for homeless New Yorkers, argued that it costs an average of $383 a night to house a family in a shelter or hotel, but only $72 a night if that family is placed in a two-bedroom apartment using a rental assistance program.
“It’s long past time for the city to move out of its emergency response mode and into a long-term approach that actually gets people on their feet,” said Murad Awawdeh, the executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, in an interview with Gothamist.
He added, “It is drastically cheaper,” while emphasizing that longtime New Yorkers should have priority access to rental assistance.
The city is currently accommodating over 59,000 asylum-seekers in emergency housing, and expects that number to rise. Mayor Eric Adams has estimated that caring for migrants will cost the city $12 billion over the next three years.
A spokesperson for the mayor said the administration would review the report and defended the city’s handling of the situation.
“In the midst of an unprecedented crisis, Mayor Adams has taken decisive action to connect more New Yorkers in shelter with permanent housing,” spokesperson Jonah Allon wrote in a statement.
He referred to the city’s elimination in June of the so-called 90-day rule, which had previously required New Yorkers to be in shelters for three months in order to be eligible for rental subsidies. Allon added that the city continues to push state lawmakers to expand the supply of affordable housing.
Christine Quinn, the former City Council speaker who now serves as Win's president and CEO, acknowledged that under current laws, migrants without permanent legal status cannot receive rental assistance but said that could change. She said it’s critical that the city find stable housing for asylum-seekers.
“If we are going to remain New York, we have to have an open door and an open heart to folks who are in need,” said Quinn.
Quinn said she’s scheduled to meet with a number of deputy mayors in the coming weeks but indicated that the administration has yet to embrace the proposals.
“I think that the city is in a tough spot, so anytime you bring up anything new about the asylum-seekers, it takes them a while to digest it, because they’re kind of drinking from a firehose, there’s so much going on.”
Tagged
Asylum Seekers
randall's island
Mayor Eric Adams
Race And Justice Unit
Immigrant
Arun Venugopal
Arun Venugopal is a senior reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist Race & Justice Unit who focuses on issues of race and bias in our region. His reporting also tackles the topics of immigration, faith, and inequality. Arun serves as the regular fill-in host of the station's "U.S. of Anxiety" program. Arun was the creator and host of Micropolis, a series about race and identity. He is a contributor to NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered. He has appeared on PBS Newshour, On the Media and Studio 360, and has been published in The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Salon. He also frequently serves as an emcee and moderator of panel discussions on race, religion, and identity issues and has been a guest host of NPR's "Fresh Air." He lives with his family in Queens.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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