New York Mayor Declares Emergency In City Over Homelessness Amid Migrant Crisis

Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency on Friday and called on the state for financial support as New York City faces a migrant crisis, with over 17,000 asylum seekers from Latin America overflowing the shelters.

According to Yahoo Finance, Adams directed all relevant agencies to construct humanitarian relief centers to provide assistance. However, the supposed act of charity from the Mayor is straining the city’s already exhausted budget, with $1 billion expected to cover the expenses by the end of the fiscal year. Calling for support from federal authorities, Adams said at the news briefing last week, the crisis is “burning through our city’s budget.”

New York is among many cities in the United States suffering from an influx of hundreds of asylum seekers, primarily sent by governors from border states. Fleeing from widespread violence in their homelands, majority of the said migrants originate from Latin American countries such as Venezuela, a nation that is currently suffering from an economical collapse.

New York City officials are currently working to provide shelter for migrants as well as other essential services. However, the city faces another crisis, one that preceded the arrival of the asylum seekers.

The New York Times reported that the city was already suffering from an increase in the homeless, which has been filling the shelters to 100% capacity. New York’s main shelter population rose by 6% in April, the biggest jump the city has seen in such a short period since 2015. Joshua Goldfein, a staff lawyer for the Legal Aid Society, said the causes of the problems are numerous but boil down to one thing, remarking that the city wasn’t able to resolve its issues before the influx of migrants.

Rents increased in the city, making it difficult for those already facing financial problems and too few affordable housing projects being built. Evictions resume in the city after a two-year moratorium caused by the pandemic. Landlords are allegedly getting away with illegal evictions of tenants who pay with government vouchers due to an apparent understaffing at the city's enforcement offices, adding further burden to the city’s problems.