New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Jan. 10, 2023, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is issuing a “no more room” warning to migrants seeking shelter in NYC.
Adams has unveiled a campaign to distribute fliers to discourage asylum-seekers from coming to the city. He also announced new limits on shelter access after 60 days.
“Please consider another city as you make your decision about where to settle in the U.S.,” the flier, published in English and Spanish, states.
The administration plans to distribute the fliers at the U.S. southern border, Bloomberg reported.
Adams, a Democrat, has complained for months his city has no more capacity to house asylum-seekers. The Big Apple has already taken in more than 90,000 migrants in the five boroughs since last year.
The mayor introduced a new directive for single adult migrants who only be allowed to stay in the city’s shelter system for 60 days. After that, they will be required to reapply for a slot. This, Adams said at a City Hall press conference, will prioritize shelter beds for families while helping single adults search for other places for them to stay.
“Our goal is no child, no family is sleeping on the streets,” Adams said. “That’s our goal, and we’re getting closer and closer to being unable to fulfill even that.”
“Right now, we have no space,” Adams said. “So wherever they can wait, they are waiting.”
The plan is already facing backlash from Republicans and homeless advocates, Politico reported.
“The Mayor’s announcement today doesn’t just undermine the right-to-shelter, but the defining role of New York as a beacon of promise inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty,” City Comptroller Brad Lander said in a statement. “Limiting the length of shelter stays for asylum seekers will put more people on the streets and strain other city services, including hospitals and sanitation.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams listens to Gov. Kathy Hochul deliver her State of the State address in the Assembly Chamber at the state Capitol on Jan. 10, 2023, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)
