The city of New York announced this Wednesday that it will give a period of 60 days to adult immigrants who have been in shelters for a long time. to find alternative housing to, in this way, have space for families with children that has continued non-stop since last year, reported Mayor Eric Adams.
Adams made the announcement at a press conference in which he reiterated that the city has no more space and that since the migratory flow began, 90,000 people have already arrived, of which 54,000 are under the care of the city.
Those 54,000 immigrants are about half of the 105,800 people the city hosts in its shelters.
“We are going to give asylum seekers (as immigrants are often called) a 60-day notice to prepare to seek alternative accommodation,” the mayor said, adding: “Our social services will help you explore other options. and get in touch with their networks of friends and family.
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If they do not find a place to live in those 60 days, they will have to start the process of requesting a new place in another shelter.
New York’s real estate market, one of the most expensive in the country, doesn’t make things easy for immigrants, especially if they don’t have a job.
“We have no more space in the city. It cannot continue, it is not sustainable and we are not going to pretend otherwise,” insisted Adams, who also announced a campaign to combat “misinformation on the border”, in the sense that they want to dissuade to those who plan to come to New York expecting an open door policy.
The New York real estate market, one of the most expensive in the country, does not make things easy for immigrants.
In the past year of migration crisis, the city has been forced to rent hotels and find other accommodation for immigrants, single adults and families with children, to whom it also provides food and guarantees a place for the children in the public school system.
Last week, more than 2,800 immigrants entered the shelters provided by the city.
New York is the only city in the country that is legally required to provide shelter to anyone by a law passed in the 1980s, but its capacities have been overwhelmed in the past 12 months.
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NGO criticizes mayor’s decision
After the news came out, New York pro-immigrant organizations and lawyers criticized the city’s mayor, Eric Adams, on Wednesday, for his decision to limit to 60 days the maximum time that single immigrants arriving in the public city can stay in a shelter.
In a joint statement, the Coalition for the Homeless and the Legal Aid Society lawyers group recalled that court orders and local laws oblige the city to guarantee a safe shelter to those who need it.
“Instead of limiting stays in shelters, the city must implement policies to address the need to increase accommodation capacity,” they indicated in the note, in which they also indicate that the new city policy “raises many questions and concerns that the city still has to answer”.
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Last week, more than 2,800 immigrants entered shelters provided by New York City. In the photo, migrants trying to enter the US.
“We are reviewing this policy and its legality and hope to have more to say on the matter,” they warned.
The ombudsman, Jumaane Williams, affirmed for his part that the right to housing has existed for more than 30 years, “and does not simply expire after 60 days in the face of a crisis.”
“The new rule is an abominable end of our right to housing laws and does not reflect the welcoming values of the city,” raised, for its part, the NGO New
York Immigration Coalition.
While the association Make the Road New York said it was “appalled by the mayor’s callous indifference” for the well-being of people seeking safety in the city.
“People seeking asylum in New York deserve not only dignity but also adequate support to thrive in their new lives here,” the NGO distinguished.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With EFE
