Adams wants New Yorkers to house migrants in 'private residences'
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Any spare rooms at Gracie Mansion?
Mayor Eric Adams now wants to start paying every day New Yorkers to shelter migrants in their own homes - as the Big Apple struggles to find beds for the thousands of asylum seekers still flooding into the city.
In his latest attempt to battle the ongoing migrant crisis, Adams on Monday floated a half baked "private residence" plan, which could possibly see local homeowners getting compensation to put up asylum seekers.
Hizzoner put forward the proposal as he revealed religious leaders had agreed to start housing adult male migrants overnight at 50 places of worship scattered across the five boroughs next month.
"There are residents who are suffering right now because of economic challenges. They have spare rooms. They have locales," the mayor said, arguing his private residence proposal could put money back in the pockets of taxpayers.
Adams didn't offer up specifics on how the plan would work - including how much New Yorkers could potentially receive per night to cover the cost of hosting a migrant. A spokesperson also did not respond when asked if the mayor would take in migrants at his home in Brooklyn.
He did say, however, that the city would pay places of worship a nightly rate of about $125 for each asylum seeker - which is cheaper than the $380 it costs to put up a migrant household - including a family with kids or just single adults - in one of its shelter hotels.
Mayor Eric Adams said the city will work to "find a way" to get around city government rules that typically bar the city from housing homeless people in private homes.Matthew McDermott
If the private residence plan went ahead, it could mean New Yorkers are being paid more to host a migrant than a foster parent is given to raise a child in the Empire State.
The state currently pays a daily allowance of $40 for children aged over 12 years, according to the Office of Children and Family Services.
"It's cheaper and it's a good investment for us to go to a family and assist them instead of placing people in large congregate settings or in these emergency hotels," Adams insisted of his private home plan.
Over 72,000 people have flooded into NYC with over 45,000 currently living in 160 taxpayer-funded emergency shelters and hotels.G.N. Miller
"And then if you are a family member where you are bilingual, you are going to be able to help the bilingual person that's coming here."
He added: "We should be recycling our own dollars. We should take this crisis and go to opportunities. That is how we can deal with this."
Adams acknowledged that City Hall would need to get over a "30 day rule" for his plan to work.
Asked for clarity on the rule, a City Hall spokesperson later cited New York law that requires a guest to be living in a residence for 30 days before they can legally become a tenant.
"We're trying to navigate all the rules of how to get it done," he said when pressed for further details. "There are many layers to how someone can use their space. We want to make sure that we follow all the rules and those rules that need to be changed within my power, we will push to do so. If there's rules that need to be changed on the state level, we're going to reach out to our state colleagues to do so."
Some homeowners were quick to rip the mayor's plan as "nuts" and half-baked given the scarcity of details.
"It would be absolute bedlam," Park Slope resident Zainab Jah told The Post.
Her partner, Tim Naylor, who has owned their townhouse for 24 years, added migrants shouldn't be getting a "free ride" when many New Yorkers "cannot afford a decent place of their own."
Parents and students at PS 172 in Sunset Park held a rally protesting the plan to house single migrant men in the school gymnasium.Gregory P. Mango
"Even if it was worth it to homeowners, the city shouldn't be spending our money on that kind of crap. You have enough New Yorkers who can barely afford to live," he said.
"Before you know it we're going to get flooded with even more migrants."
Tom Harriman, who owns his condo in Park Slope, also weighed in on Adams' latest migrant proposal, insisting the plan "seems really strange."
"Who are these people? What are the housing conditions?" the 77-year-old retiree said.
He suggested the mayor was all talk, adding: "It's all sound bites but you don't find details."
Migrant families who are staying at the Roosevelt Hotel stand outside along 45th Street.Aristide Economopoulos
NYC Council Republican leader Joe Borelli posted on social media: "What are the goals? When do we stop paying? What is the off-ramp?"
The city is currently bursting at the seams to house 45,900 asylum seekers in the 157 emergency sites set up across the five boroughs.
Roughly 2,200 migrants arrived at city shelters in the last week alone, according to City Hall.
The Adams administration has come under fire of late for the ways in which it's trying to deal with the crisis - including temporarily housing migrants in elementary school gyms.
The newly announced faith-based plan, which is part of a new two-year partnership with the New York Disaster Interfaith Services, has the capacity to house roughly 1,000 migrants initially.
As part of the program, the city will also open five daytime centers to provide migrant support during the day to allow the faith-based spaces to continue to offer their normal services to New Yorkers.
"Our city has witnessed an unprecedented influx of asylum seekers coming to New York City since last spring," Pastor Gil Monrose, executive director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships, said on Monday.
"I am really grateful that faith leaders are opening their doors to asylum seekers — providing their space as well as the hands of the community to care for them. New York is truly a city of faith."
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Good Morning democrats.
It's time to show your compassion.
Wonder how many he is taking in under the plan?
Guessing ZIP!!!
I can envision old abandoned warehouses being converted into housing centers.
Once they are in your house, I wonder how long it will take to evict the leeches if they don't want to go?
Probably forever.
I'll take "Things Stupid People Say" for $200 Alex.
A more honest take on this would be that New York City is going to offer some financial incentives to some New Yorkers to provide temporary housing to some new immigrants arriving in the city...
And where would they get the money to pay for the financial incentives? Oh, that's right, taxpayers. Just make the rich pay their fair share until they all move out, right?
Only housing? What about food, transportation, employment, medical care?
That's implying they deserve any of that before US Citizens. They don't.
A leader leads by example. How many illegals is Eric Adams planning on bringing into his home?
Those who want to be part of a Sanctuary City can now have their own Sanctuary House.
Show how much you want them by brining them into your own house to live with you