Amidst an ongoing migrant crisis, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has proposed a new “private residence plan.” The new initiative, announced on Monday, June 5th by Mayor Adams, would allow New Yorkers to house migrants with the prospect of compensation for their efforts.
“There are residents who are suffering right now because of economic challenges. They have spare rooms. They have locales,” Adams said. He asserted that his proposal for private residences could put taxpayers’ money back in their pockets.
Meanwhile, religious leaders have committed to sheltering adult male migrants in 50 houses of worship across the city’s five boroughs. These locations will receive about $125 per asylum seeker per night, a less costly option than the current $380 per migrant household spent on city hotel accommodations.
Critics of the plan, including some homeowners, have expressed concerns over the proposal’s lack of details and potential consequences. Many residents fear that the plan might exacerbate the influx of migrants and burden city dwellers already struggling to afford living expenses.
The proposed plan could result in New Yorkers earning more to house a migrant than the state provides to foster parents for children over 12, which is $40 per day, according to the Office of Children and Family Services.
“It’s cheaper, and it’s a good investment for us to go to a family and assist them instead of placing people in large congregate settings or in these emergency hotels,” Adams declared about the proposed plan.
Currently, the city is grappling with the challenge of housing nearly 46,000 asylum seekers in the emergency sites established across the five boroughs.
The new faith-based program initiative, a two-year partnership with the New York Disaster Interfaith Services, could initially accommodate approximately 1,000 migrants. The program also involves opening five daytime centers to support migrants while enabling the faith-based spaces to continue their regular services.
