New York City rents rooms in luxury hotels to house illegal immigrants until 2025

New York City is paying for rooms in more than 150 hotels to house illegal immigrants who have come across the border in recent months.

At an average cost of $352 per night per room, the city is facing an unprecedented financial crisis, estimating that they will need about 14,000 hotel rooms through next year. This could cost the city around $5.76 billion.

More than 200,000 illegals have arrived in NYC

Since 2022, more than 200,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in New York City. The hotels used to house them include some of the city's most iconic hotels, located mainly in tourist areas. These include the Row NYC Hotel, a luxury four-star hotel in Times Square and the historic Roosevelt Hotel, located near Grand Central Station. A total of 22 hotels in the Midtown Manhattan area have been designated as immigrant shelters, which has sparked concern in the local tourism industry.

As the city tries to cope with this crisis, many are wondering how long this hotel housing program can be sustained. Nicole Gelinas from the Manhattan Institute has warned that continuing to use hotels as shelters is not a viable long-term solution. "We should stop using hotels as shelters by the end of the year," Gelinas said, stressing that taxpayers will not be able to shoulder the high cost of housing immigrants indefinitely. Concern about the economic burden has grown, especially given the exorbitant price tag of paying more than $350 per night for each occupied hotel room.

"Sanctuary Facilities" program

The city's Department of Homeless Services acknowledged the challenge and issued a statement saying it plans to continue the Sanctuary Facilities program. In the statement, the agency emphasized the need for more providers capable of managing large commercial hotels as temporary shelters to help address the housing crisis exacerbated by the recent influx of immigrants.