Mayor Adams Wants Federal Help Addressing Asylum Seekers’ Effect on NYC Shelter System

Mayor Eric Adams wants to see more federal help in dealing with asylum seekers’ strain on the city’s homeless shelter system, he said Tuesday.

Over the last “several weeks,” there has been a “sharp increase” in the number of asylum seekers entering the five boroughs with 2,800 individuals entering the city’s shelter system, according to Adams’ office.

“Currently, New York City is experiencing a marked increase in the number of asylum seekers who are arriving from Latin America and other regions,” Adams said.

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As a result of a 1979 lawsuit and subsequent legal action, New York City is one of three U.S. municipalities that has a “right to shelter” for all homeless people regardless of residence status, according to the Coalition for the Homeless.

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Adams pointed out that asylum seekers also have a legal right to be in the United States. However, he said that other states and in some cases, the federal government are sending asylum-seeking families to the five boroughs by the bus load.

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