NEW YORK — The immigration crisis could soon be literally hitting New York City Mayor Eric Adams, as he appears to be entertaining the idea of using Gracie Mansion to house asylum seekers as they continue to pour into the city. .
Given the dire situation that Adams has repeatedly said has caused an influx of tens of thousands of immigrants to New York, the mayor said Tuesday that he is considering using his official mayoral residence on the Upper East Side as a refuge for immigrants.
“I want to lead from the front, that’s the kind of leader I am,” the mayor said.
Adams said he will share his waterfront view with a migrant family as long as city guidelines agree. The mayor did not say how long he thinks it would take him to research the logistics of such a plan, but said he believes it has enough space for a migrant family or two.
The comment follows his suggestion that all New Yorkers could possibly house asylum seekers in their private residences, and perhaps get compensation for it. It’s an idea that New Yorkers have received a mixed response from New Yorkers.
“I think we have to find a way to house people in the city,” said Eric Fowler, who lives in Gramercy.
“I wouldn’t even accommodate my relatives,” said Chinatown’s Sun Lo, with a smile.
It wasn’t immediately clear how much residents would be paid to house immigrants, but the plan would have a downside: It would have to get around the city’s 30-day rule and other provisions that dictate how long it takes someone to become a renter. .
It also comes after Adams announced that 50 churches, mosques and places of worship will be paid to house nearly 1,000 immigrants in an effort to ease some of the pressure on the city’s hotels and shelter system. Keeping asylum seekers in churches would also cost the city much less,
In lieu of paying for hotels, the City will pay houses of worship $125 per person per night they stay.
“We should be recycling our own dollars. We should be taking this crisis and seizing the opportunities. This is how we can deal with this,” Adams said.
In the last year, New York City has seen huge waves of asylum seekers. Officials have said they have received more than 72,000 since 2022, of which 45,000 actively received assistance, leading to a severe lack of space. On Tuesday, it was confirmed that the Westchester County city of White Plains is now hosting 46 migrants, and hundreds more could soon sleep on cots in a warehouse at JFK Airport, pending Port Authority approval.
2023-06-07 01:51:32
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