City Hall has officially announced the establishment of a “reticketing center” in Manhattan as part of its ongoing efforts to alleviate the pressure on shelters and finances, prompted by the arrival of over 130,000 asylum-seekers in the past year.
Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, has characterized the situation as a crisis and is sounding the alarm about shelters reaching full capacity, potentially forcing migrants onto the streets as winter approaches.
Adams emphasized the urgency, stating, “I cannot stress this enough. We are out of room, and it’s not a matter of ‘if’ people will be sleeping on the streets, but ‘when.’ We are at full capacity.”
This move by the city to provide transportation for migrants is an extension of previous initiatives aimed at relocating asylum-seekers. However, the creation of the dedicated reticketing center underscores the renewed focus on this strategy.
Importantly, the city has clarified that this travel offer is entirely voluntary.
The mayor’s office recently implemented restrictions, allowing adult migrants a maximum stay of 30 days in city shelters, while migrant families with children are permitted up to 60 days. Migrants, many of whom lack legal work authorization, can reapply for shelter if they are unable to secure alternative housing.
According to a spokeswoman for Adams, approximately 20,000 individuals have been served with either 30- or 60-day notices. She stated that less than 20% of those who exceeded these limits remain in city shelters, suggesting that the city’s policies are effective in encouraging migrants to seek alternative housing.
Adams is also working to suspend a unique legal agreement obligating New York City to provide emergency housing to homeless individuals. This requirement, unlike any in other major U.S. cities, has faced legal challenges, with the mayor’s office arguing that it was not intended to address an influx of migrants. A judge recently directed the city to engage in mediation discussions with homeless advocacy groups to find a resolution.
In response to the surge of migrants, the mayor’s office has swiftly set up more than 200 emergency shelters, including rented hotel space and large-scale facilities, to accommodate the growing population of asylum-seekers. Currently, over 65,000 migrants are residing in city shelters.
Adams anticipates that the cost of managing this influx will amount to approximately $12 billion over the next three years.