Dozens Of NYC Churches To Shelter Migrants Amid Influx Of New Arrivals
Jennie Taer on June 5, 2023
Roughly 50 houses of worship will begin housing migrants in New York City, according to local outlet FOX5 News.
The new shelters, which will open in July, will provide relief for the city which is facing a housing crisis due to a surge in migrant arrivals, according to FOX5 News. New York City received roughly 2,200 migrants in a single week recently, and, due to the overwhelming nature of the arrivals, some have been transported to nearby suburbs.
“We have the mission, we have the motivation, and we have the facilities to help,” Archbishop Eugene Blount of the Elim International Fellowship told FOX5.
Each shelter will take in 19 adult men, totaling 1,000 in houses of worship by August, according to FOX5.
“It’s a first for the city, it’s the first for us,” Pastor Gilford Monrose, the executive director of the NYC Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships said.
The city will pay $125 per night per migrant, and provide laundry services and security officers at the new shelters, according to FOX5. The city’s current shelter program costs $380 per day per migrant, amounting to $1.2 billion in total.
“I don’t want to use the word cheaper, but its much more cost-effective,” Monrose said. “And it gives the city a better opportunity to help migrants have a sense of hope.”
It remains unclear how long the faith centers will be used as migrant shelters as Monrose emphasized they’re meant to be temporary, according to FOX5.
The city’s Democratic mayor, Eric Adams, applauded the move as a much needed effort, according to FOX5. Adams has faced backlash from nearby counties, like Rockland, which have received some migrants he’s bused out of the city.
“As we continue to tackle this humanitarian crisis, I’m proud that through this new partnership with New York Disaster Interfaith Services, New York City’s faith community will be able to provide shelter to asylum seekers in need at houses of worship throughout the five boroughs. Not only will this increase the space we have by nearly 1,000 beds, but it will connect asylum seekers with local communities. New York City continues to do all that we can to address this crisis, but we need additional assistance from other partners,” Adams said.
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