Eric Adams no longer "welcomes immigrants with open arms." Less than a year after he uttered these words, the mayor of New York City has asked a court to modify the Big Apple's "Right to Shelter" because the city's immigration crisis is draining local resources. Adams stressed that, if the regulations are maintained, and without an increase in federal aid, local finances will collapse.
As Eric Adams attempts to dismantle the Right to Shelter, a reminder of NY State Constitution Article XVII:
“The aid, care and support of the needy are public concerns and SHALL BE PROVIDED by the state and by such of its subdivisions” https://t.co/zqeswTDy7H
— Adrian Pietrzak (@zoningwonk) May 24, 2023
Specifically, the city requests that the judge modify the wording so that the standard doesn't have to be applied at a time when "the city of New York acting through the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) lacks the resources and capacity to establish and maintain sufficient shelter sites, staffing, and security to provide safe and appropriate shelter," according to the letter.
He demands that the Biden administration "do their share"
According to New York City regulations, the city must provide homeless people with housing, food and make legal care available to them. The city pointed out that this is unfeasible with more than 70,000 illegal immigrants who have arrived in the last year. Adams stated that it is time to face this reality and demanded that the Biden administration "do their part."
Given that we’re unable to provide care for an unlimited number of people and are already overextended, it is in the best interest of everyone, including those seeking to come to the United States, to be upfront that New York City cannot single-handedly provide care to everyone crossing our border. Being dishonest about this will only result in our system collapsing, and we need our government partners to know the truth and do their share.
More immigrants than homeless in New York
Adams stressed that New York City has done more than any other city in the country to support the undocumented, stating that, right now, on the streets of New York there are "more asylum seekers in our care than New Yorkers experiencing homelessness."
For more than a year, New York City has — largely on its own — provided shelter, food, clothing, and more to over 70,000 migrants who have arrived in our city. We now have more asylum seekers in our care than New Yorkers experiencing homelessness when we came into office. When the original Callahan consent decree came down almost 40 years ago, no one could have contemplated, foresaw, or even remotely imagined a mass influx of individuals entering our system — more than doubling our census count in slightly over a year. Our city has done more to support asylum seekers than any other city in the nation, but the unfortunate reality is that the city has extended itself further than its resources will allow.
