Mayor Adams Closes Shelters as NYC Reduces Migrant Numbers

By Y.M. Lowy

Mayor Eric Adams announced that 25 shelters, including the one at Floyd Bennett Field, will close in the next two months. 

With many of these shelters so close to our streets, residents have expressed frustration with the growing number of migrants in the city and concerns about overcrowded streets, with some reports of illegal activities and safety issues.

However, thanks to the city’s new strategies, including moving migrants out of shelters and providing them with 30- and 60-day notices, the number of migrants in the shelter system is finally decreasing. These efforts have reduced the number of asylum seekers in city shelters for 22 weeks in a row, reaching its lowest point in 17 months. 

New York State, which was paying close to $10,000 per person per month, will keep reimbursing the city for shelter costs at other locations. The city’s approach is being seen as a model for managing asylum seekers across the country.