Queens Borough President Donovan Richards is calling on the Adams Administration to communicate better with local leaders around Aqueduct Racetrack and Creedmoor Psychiatric Center on plans to house asylum seekers.
Courtesy of BP’s office
Queens elected officials are calling on the Adams administration to provide more transparency on its plans for housing asylum seekers in tents at the Creedmoor Psychiatric campus in Queens Village and Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park in the coming weeks.
“When it comes to these two proposed sites, the mayor’s office must establish a constant channel of communication with local leaders and neighborhood stakeholders through the creation of Community Advisory Boards for each location,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards in a statement. “The city must also leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of all involved — both the surrounding communities and those housed at the sites alike — and ensure that there is adequate local transportation for our asylum seekers who need to travel elsewhere.”
The temporary shelters would reportedly house around 1,000 adults each on state-owned land to alleviate the crisis that has seen more than 53,000 asylum seekers who have been bused from the southern border in recent months.
“As the administration discusses the merits of these potential locations, we cannot lose sight of the individuals at the heart of this crisis,” Richards said. “Many of these asylum seekers are young families who have made perilous, months-long journeys across entire continents, carrying with them little else but hope for a safer, more prosperous future for their loved ones.”
Reports indicate that the state gave permission for the city to move forward with the proposal to place a tent encampment on the parking lot at Aqueduct.
“The decision by Governor Hochul to green-light plans that would place hundreds of migrants in this area is unacceptable,” Councilwoman Joann…
Read the full article here
