The city has suspended the use of two hotels sheltering immigrants in the Big Apple, and many others will be phased out in the coming months, the Post reported.
The 23-room Hotel Merritt and 73-room Quality Inn JFK Airport in Times Square have been removed by the city from use as emergency shelters as the influx of immigrants into the five boroughs has slowed significantly. This is the first hotel.
“We have come a long way since the first bus from Texas arrived in our city over two years ago, when we took care of the thousands of people arriving each week. We worked around the clock to do this,” said a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams. Said.
The administration noted that resettlement efforts and other resources have helped 170,000 immigrants move out of the shelter system and take the next step.
“And thanks to our advocacy efforts at the federal level and executive orders issued by the Biden-Harris Administration, the number of people entering our shelter system each week continues to decline,” the spokesperson said. added. “Our staff will help our customers plan for next steps as city operations consolidate.”
The total cost per night for immigrants is $352, which includes $130 paid to the hotel for room rental and separate payments for social services, food and cleaning.
Hotel Merit (414 West 46th Street between 9th and 10th Streets) will be used as a shelter for immigrant families with children starting in July 2023 until phased out on November 4th. city officials said.
Last week, New York State stopped using the Quality Inn at 153-95 Rockaway Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, as a shelter for immigrant families. It has been in use since June 2023.
Mayor Eric Adams' administration was able to begin cutting back on places to house asylum seekers as the immigrant population dwindles and many residents leave shelters.
From October 28 to November 3, more than 700 new immigrants entered the city and more than 1,000 left.
The population in migrant shelters has plummeted from 69,000 in January to 58,000 now.
And in December, officials announced the city would close all 10 migrant shelters in northern Albany, Dutchess, Erie, Orange and Westchester counties.
The city also plans to close Randall's Island, a large migrant campground, in February after drastically reducing the number of migrants sheltered there.
Still, the Adams administration plans to continue using hotels as emergency shelters for the time being.
The Department of Homeless Services is seeking contracts with hotels to provide a total of 14,000 rooms to house immigrants over the next few years.
According to city data, about 150 hotels are currently accepting immigrants, and total spending on immigration services over three years is expected to reach $6.1 billion.
The city projects that spending on immigrant housing for the past two years and this year combined will exceed $2.41 billion, much of it in rent paid to hotels in the Big Apple.
But City Hall said Sunday that the Big Apple could enjoy immediate savings for taxpayers if the hotels were no longer used as emergency shelters.
Under the terms of the contract with Hotel Merit and Quality Inn, payments will stop after the city clears it, as long as city officials give 30 days' notice of the phaseout, a mayor's spokesperson said.
Vijay Dandapani, president and CEO of the New York City Hotel Association, confirmed the terms of the agreement.
“While we cannot comment on individual hotels, the city reserves the right to terminate contracts with hotels with 30 days' notice. Without immigrants, the contract will be terminated, so there is no reason to continue paying,” Dandapani said. said.
Critics say President-elect Donald Trump's landslide victory over Vice President Kamala Harris last week was partly due to the border crisis under the Biden administration.
President Trump has vowed to tighten border security and launch a massive deportation campaign to remove illegal immigrants.
Adams also imposed a 30-day shelter stay limit for individuals and 60 days for families to provide relief to the beleaguered shelter system, although asylum seekers can reapply. The city also helps immigrants apply for asylum.
