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White House approves migrant shelter at Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field, Gov. Hochul says
By
Jon Campbell
Published Aug 21, 2023
Modified Aug 21, 2023
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Photo by Leonard Zhukovsky
By
Jon Campbell
Published Aug 21, 2023
Modified Aug 21, 2023
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New York state is on the verge of leasing space at Floyd Bennett Field in southeast Brooklyn to house 2,000 migrants seeking shelter in New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday.
Hochul told reporters in the Bronx that her team has a proposed lease from the federal government for use of the former naval air station, which is now a greenspace managed by the National Park Service.
The lease — which the state has not yet signed — is three months in the making. Hochul first requested use of Floyd Bennett Field in May as the city struggled to find places to house thousands of migrants seeking shelter in the city.
The Democratic governor initially asked the White House to cover the cost of erecting and staffing a shelter at the former airfield. But on Monday — after negotiating with the White House late into Sunday night — she said the state agreed to pick up the cost.
“This is something we’ve been asking about, hoping for for many, many, many months,” Hochul said.
Details of the temporary shelter are not yet finalized, according to the governor’s office. Hochul said the state would not be paying a rental fee to the federal government; the lease agreement is to make clear the federal government is not transferring ownership of the land to the state, she said.
At an unrelated event in the Bronx, the governor said the feds are granting approval for state use of the former naval air station to house migrants.
Photo by Don Pollard / Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
The federal proposal came through as Hochul was speaking at an event focused on the Hunts Point redevelopment project in the Bronx. The governor said she was informed of the prospective lease as she spoke to reporters.
Hochul said the idea of housing people at Floyd Bennett Field — located along Jamaica Bay — required some convincing. The Department of Interior had raised legal concerns about housing people on parkland.
“The answer one month ago was ‘no’ — that this is land owned by the Department of Interior, National Parks, and they do not allow for use of shelter on any of their properties,” Hochul said. “So I'm viewing this as a significant development by the administration in Washington to acknowledge that we need more help here.”
A spokesperson for the White House said in a statement that discussions between various federal agencies, along with city and state officials to use portions of Floyd Bennett field "are ongoing."
The nearing agreement comes as Hochul continues to face pressure to take more of a leading role in finding housing for migrants, who continue to come to New York City in large numbers.
The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless, which have been among those urging the state to act, issued a joint statement saying they're hoping the resources the state is committing to Floyd Bennett Field is a sign of things to come, though they said the "devil is in the details."
"We hope is the start of a more meaningful commitment to provide the City with funding, staffing, facilities, coordination and more to avoid another nightmarish scenario where people are relegated to the streets and exposed to the elements," the organizations wrote.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams thanked Hochul for picking up the tab for the new shelter, but reiterated his call for the federal government to take steps to make it easier for asylum seekers to get work authorization.
"I’m looking forward to more of this kind of partnership with our friends in Albany as we manage this ongoing crisis," he said in a statement
Hochul said she had not yet reviewed the terms of the proposed lease, but that she expects approval to house 2,000 migrants at the former airfield — though there’s capacity for more and she’s hoping to expand it later. She said the space will be heated and air conditioned and available for use in the coming winter months.
The shelter, once approved and built, will be made available to single adults, Hochul said. In theory, that will help clear up space in hotels for women, children and families, she said.
This story was updated to include additional comments from the governor, Mayor Eric Adams, the White House and advocacy groups.
Tagged
new york state
new york city
Asylum Seekers
housing
brooklyn
Kathy Hochul
Politics
eric adams
Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
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