New York City has been dealing with an influx of asylum seekers for the past 18 months, but city leaders are still approaching the crisis as if it were a crisis. This is an emergency, and the commercial real estate industry is largely on the sidelines, waiting for direction from public officials.
Mayor Eric Adams says the surge in immigration will continue.DestroyNew York City forced him to make painful budget cuts.he asked for more federal aid Urges Biden Administration to Address Costs Expedited work permit For thousands of new arrivals, visited Central America from October be discouraged Immigrants from traveling to America.
is more than 142,000 Migrants have arrived in five boroughs since last spring. But business and civic leaders believe the city needs to put in enough effort to develop and move people into enough long-term housing to keep costs down and create stable livelihoods for unhoused families. There are growing concerns that the government is not doing its part.
“I don’t envy the mayor, I don’t think he could have foreseen something like this would happen. That being said, this issue has been going on for a year, and every day we see it as a whole new issue.” said Christine Quinn, president and CEO of supportive housing provider Women in Need (WIN). “Saying that immigrants are going to destroy the city and that we wish they were gone doesn’t get the job done.”
The city has provided 24-hour service at a cost of $1.45 billion in the past fiscal year; $11 billion over the next two years, according to the city’s November budget report.That roughly translates to $394 The amount of government-funded immigrants per day.
In response to criticism from New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Adams, the White House proposed in September to admit hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants. temporary protection allow them to work in the United States; rapid construction southern border wall.
Adams has earmarked money from the city’s budget to fight immigration and was scheduled to meet with the White House and the state’s congressional delegation on Nov. 2 to discuss increased assistance for immigrants. sudden cancellation His meetings while an FBI agent attacked His campaign fundraising home.As the mayor’s campaign finance scandal escalates, it’s actually raised a question From a rival called City Hall too distracting This is to deal with the immigration crisis. (Adams has not been accused of any wrongdoing.)
Real estate leaders and advocates want to help, but their abilities are limited. The White House and Congress must stem the tide of immigration to give local officials a chance to benefit.
“Immigration issues are created by federal laws and policies, but the problem with finding creative solutions is that we are not in charge of federal laws and policies,” said the New York City representative. said Kathy Wilde, President and CEO of Partnership for New York. City business leader. “Without a federal solution, we are hopeless.”
There are a number of tools available to the city to move migrants into permanent housing to avoid overcrowding the city’s already strained shelter system.
Total approx. 119,600 In October, more than half of the 65,400 people staying in the city’s homeless shelters were immigrants. The city has expanded its shelter system by having the Office of Emergency Management and the public hospital system operate Humanitarian Emergency Relief Centers (HERCs), which provide temporary respite and services. At the same time, the Adams administration has restricted immigration to: 60 days stay fought in HERC hang A state law that requires cities to provide shelter to those in need.
Supporters warn that’s the wrong approach. Instead, the city should provide housing vouchers to immigrants and work with property owners to rent out vacant units as quickly as possible.
“We need to focus on getting people out of shelters and helping them into permanent housing. That’s a more cost-effective and efficient way to deal with this situation.” said Murad Awaudeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.
Up to 100,000 units could be eligible for housing vouchers, with an additional 25,000 rent-stabilized units potentially eligible for vouchers, advocates said. This fall, U.S. Representative Dan Goldman will 14,000 Additional federal housing subsidies will be provided at the same time as the $100 million grant. immigration aid The White House plans to send one to the city.
However, several obstacles remain to distributing vouchers and matching them with available units.
Landlords complain that the city’s lengthy apartment inspection process and a lack of caseworkers and inspectors are causing vouchers to expire and apartments to remain unused.
The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) and the Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), both organizations representing landlords, are working to fix administrative delays, increase troubleshooting assistance, and give caseworkers more autonomy in moving inspections. An informal request was made to city officials. They move forward more quickly, but with little success.
“The city knows that REBNY and WIN think it’s a problem. I don’t know if they would admit it themselves,” Quinn said. A REBNY spokesperson added:Federal leadership is critical to ensuring new immigrants can work legally and helping cities and states cover the costs of assisting those in need. ”
State legislatures may also have to change the law for undocumented immigrants to be eligible to receive vouchers, but some advocates believe changes can be made administratively without new legislation. ing.
The value of housing vouchers is also at issue. Landlords with CHIP want to receive a voucher for a rent-stabilized unit, even if it exceeds their monthly rent, and use the balance to renovate the building.
Tenant advocates oppose the move, saying landlords should not be able to charge more than the legal rent, which would lead to higher costs of living. However, CHIP Executive Director Jay Martin said he believes those units will remain vacant and that his members will be willing to keep voucher holders in those homes long-term. Ta.
“The biggest goal here is to get units back online, but if we need to get voucher holders, that’s fine,” Martin said. “These tenants will go to market units that already exist and take the place of others who have the ability to pay in cash. The city and state are already scheduled to pay that money. They will receive the benefits of approving the housing. why do not you?”
If immigrants continue to arrive in New York at a similar pace, the city will need to adopt creative solutions to house them. One idea is to create more single room occupancy (SRO) or dormitory-style buildings, where tenants can rent a single bedroom while sharing a bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Mayor Adams proposed zoning changes in September to allow more SRO-type housing in areas with commercial zones, but the program has not been discussed as a housing option for immigrants.
“This could be a powerful tool to add new housing to tens of thousands of residents across the city,” said Grace Lau, executive director of the association. 5 Boro Research Instituteproposed. co-living pilot. “This is a concept the city can apply to create long-term housing for immigrants and New Yorkers in need.”
Connecting immigrants to employment opportunities is easier than finding long-term housing, but it remains a challenge.
After the White House extended Temporary Protected Status to tens of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants, the New York Immigration Coalition and Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative were established. pop-up clinic In collaboration with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, we provided legal services to 2,000 Venezuelans and assisted 1,700 of them with work permit applications.
Although the clinic lasted less than a month, nonprofit advocates say more people will be able to get tested quickly thanks to efficient coordination between city, state, and federal officials. I had high expectations.
“The goal here was to get as many people as possible to obtain work permits and immigration relief applications so that they could work in the formal economy where they were less likely to be taken advantage of,” said the coalition’s Awaudeh. Ta. “We need to do more. This is a marathon.”
Once immigrants receive work permits, city and state workforce centers work with employers in the hospitality, construction and health care industries to fill job openings. The labor union that asked for quick approval, has also played a role, but it has become more difficult to get immigrants into high-paying unionized jobs that require more training. Those without permits continue to work minimum wage jobs. underground economyfood delivery, etc.
As winter approaches, immigrant families need a variety of necessities, as well as legal assistance for urgent matters. Mr Quinn suggested people donate coats, blankets, diapers and baby wipes to several groups organizing clothing drives. But the former city council president implored the city’s law firm to either dedicate a general counsel’s office or offer lawyers to volunteer at an immigration-focused legal clinic.
“If you’re a new arrival and you want to get asylum, temporary protection or a visa, you have a one-year deadline, but your legal representation isn’t as robust as we need it to be,” Quinn said. Told. “We need to help individuals complete the necessary paperwork, qualify for work, and start living a good life.”