New York City is taking stronger measures to address the strain on its shelters by implementing a new rule that requires certain adult asylum-seekers to secure their own accommodations within one month. This move is aimed at alleviating the burden on the city’s overwhelmed shelter system.
Migrants who do not have young children are now required to leave the hotels, tent complexes, and other shelter facilities managed by the city within 30 days, unless they can provide evidence of “extenuating circumstances” and are granted an exemption.
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By Wednesday evening, a total of 192 migrants had submitted applications for an extension after reaching their 30-day limit. Out of these, 118 applications have been approved, as confirmed by the office of Mayor Eric Adams. This indicates that numerous migrants are facing the risk of eviction in the upcoming months.
Mamadou Diallo, a 39-year-old man from Senegal, is uncertain about his next destination as his time at a shelter in the Bronx comes to an end later this week. He is hopeful for an extension, considering that he has been actively attending English classes and taking up temporary cleaning jobs while waiting for the opportunity to apply for government work authorization.
“I’m heading to class right now, but I wanted to share that I don’t have any specific place to go,” Diallo expressed over the phone on Wednesday. “I’m currently attending school and actively searching for employment. I’m giving my all to make things work.”
Migrants who have applied for asylum are required to wait for almost five months before they can apply for new work authorization, as mandated by the federal government.
In March, Adams’ administration successfully changed the city’s “right to shelter” rule, which mandated the provision of temporary housing for every homeless individual who requested it.
Adult migrants without children used to have a 30-day limit in shelters under the previous rule. However, they had the flexibility to reapply for a new bed without any inquiries.
Migrant families with young children are limited to 60-day stays in the city. However, they are not affected by the new rule, and they can still reapply for their stay without needing to provide any justification.
The audit discovered that the rollout of the project has been “haphazard” over the past six months.
Immigrant rights and homeless advocates are closely monitoring the eviction process, which is affecting approximately 15,000 migrant adults. At present, the city shelter system is accommodating around 65,000 migrants, although a significant number of them include families with children.
David Giffen, the executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, expresses concern about potential denials of shelter to individuals due to appealable reasons, errors, or lack of required documentation. He emphasizes the importance of closely monitoring the situation to ensure that no one in need of shelter in New York City is left without a place to sleep on the streets.
New York City’s Democratic Mayor, Adams, responded to criticism over the city’s migrant shelter rules, dismissing claims that they are inhumane and poorly implemented. He emphasized that the city cannot indefinitely accommodate migrants, given the continuous influx of new arrivals. Since the spring of 2022, the city has already provided temporary housing to almost 200,000 migrants, with over a thousand newcomers arriving each week.
“People used to criticize the act of evicting people during the winter, and now they condemn it during the summer,” Adams lamented. “According to them, there’s never a good time for eviction. There’s never a good time.”
Denver is implementing a migrant support program to assist the increasing number of migrants in the city. The program offers six-month apartment stays and intensive job preparation for migrants who are not yet eligible to work legally. In contrast, Chicago has imposed a 60-day shelter limit on adult migrants without the possibility of renewal. Additionally, Massachusetts has established a nine-month cap on family stays, effective from June onwards.
In October, Adams requested the court to completely suspend the “right to shelter” requirement. However, immigrant rights and homeless advocacy groups opposed this move. Eventually, in March, they reached a settlement, establishing new rules for migrants.
City officials still have the authority to grant extensions on shelter stays on a case-by-case basis, as stated in the agreement.
City officials are emphasizing the importance of migrants demonstrating their commitment to resettling by taking concrete actions such as applying for work authorization or asylum, as well as actively seeking employment or suitable housing.
Migrants may be eligible for an extension if they can provide evidence of their intention to relocate from the city within 30 days, have an upcoming immigration-related hearing, or are undergoing a significant medical procedure or recovery.
If migrants are between the ages of 18 and 20 years old, they have the opportunity to receive extensions if they are enrolled full-time in high school.
“We believe that these changes will necessitate some adjustment, but we are confident that they will assist migrants in advancing to the next phase of their journeys. Moreover, they will alleviate the considerable burden on our shelter system and allow us to maintain vital services for all New Yorkers,” stated Camille Joseph Varlack, Adams’ chief of staff, in a statement sent via email on Wednesday.
