A new report estimates that New York City could save $3 billion a year by pulling asylum-seekers out of emergency shelters and providing them with housing vouchers instead.
The report, issued jointly by the New York Immigration Coalition and Win, a major provider of shelters for homeless New Yorkers, argued that it costs an average of $383 a night to house a family in a shelter or hotel, but only $72 a night if that family is placed in a two-bedroom apartment using a rental assistance program.
“It’s long past time for the city to move out of its emergency response mode and into a long-term approach that actually gets people on their feet,” said Murad Awawdeh, the executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, in an interview with Gothamist.
He added, “It is drastically cheaper,” while emphasizing that longtime New Yorkers should have priority access to rental assistance.
The city is currently accommodating over 59,000 asylum-seekers in emergency housing, and expects that number to rise. Mayor Eric Adams has estimated that caring for migrants will cost the city $12 billion over the next three years.
A spokesperson for the mayor said the administration would review the report and defended the city’s handling of the situation.
“In the midst of an unprecedented crisis, Mayor Adams has taken decisive action to connect more New Yorkers in shelter with permanent housing,” spokesperson Jonah Allon wrote in a statement.
He referred to the city’s elimination in June of the so-called 90-day rule, which had previously required New Yorkers to be in shelters for three months in order to be eligible for rental subsidies. Allon added that the city continues to push state lawmakers to expand the supply of affordable housing.
Christine Quinn, the former City Council speaker who now serves as Win’s president and CEO, acknowledged that under current laws, migrants without permanent legal status cannot receive rental assistance but said that could change. She…
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