Mocobizscene- After 42 years, New York City’s “right to shelter,” which aimed to guarantee immediate accommodation for anyone in need, has effectively ceased to exist.
Mayor Eric Adams has been warning about the upcoming arrival of this moment for several months now. In fact, he even went to court earlier this spring to try and have the city released from the consent decree it had entered into many decades ago.
The right to shelter for adult migrants quietly disappeared without any public announcement or legal ruling.
Months of surging migration to New York have compelled city officials to swiftly establish additional shelters in makeshift places to accommodate the escalating number of migrants. Nevertheless, the Adams administration has decided to halt this practice, allowing the repercussions of the situation to unfold organically.
Every morning for the past few weeks, hundreds of people, mostly men, have been queuing up outside an East Village “reticketing center.” They patiently wait in the freezing pre-dawn hours, forming a line that winds around the block. This scene vividly illustrates the new reality in this area.
The former St. Brigid’s Catholic School on East 7th Street has undergone a remarkable transformation. It has been repurposed as a centralized intake center for adult migrants. This building now plays a vital role in providing temporary shelter to those who have surpassed their allocated time in shelters and require a bed for an additional 30 days. With the recent implementation of a time limit on shelter stays, this facility has become indispensable for individuals in need of temporary accommodation.
When people require a place to rest, they are given a wristband bearing a designated number and date written with a sharpie. This number signifies the sequence in which they will be provided accommodation. The demand for cots, which can be found at different emergency shelters across the city, is exceedingly high, with potentially thousands of individuals waiting in line. Regrettably, due to the overwhelming demand, it now takes more than a week to secure a cot.
In the last couple of weeks, several migrants have revealed to THE CITY that they have waited for over a week to secure a bed in a shelter. Faced with the challenge of finding a place to rest, many have been forced to spend their nights on the streets or in trains. As a temporary solution, they have been directed to a crowded waiting room near Crotona Park in The Bronx, overseen by the city’s Office of Emergency Management.
As the week went on and more people started waiting for beds, the city took steps to handle the situation. They opened additional satellite waiting rooms to meet the increasing demand. However, in these satellite waiting rooms, migrants are not always allowed to lie down on the floor. Moreover, they have limited access to food and no bathing facilities available.
Bryan Arriaga, a 19-year-old from Mexico, expressed his frustration with the government’s decision to allow people to sleep on the streets. “It’s really awful, especially with this cold weather,” he said. He recounted his experience of being turned away from a crowded shelter intake office on December 7th.
He later discovered that he had to spend a night on the floor of a waiting room in The Bronx, followed by several more nights sleeping in a public restroom in Jamaica, Queens.
On December 12th, he returned to the East Village, finding himself among hundreds of others facing the same predicament. As he sat on a park bench, he pondered his next move while observing the gathering crowd at the intake site.
“I’m just looking for a place to rest, take a shower, and find a cozy spot to relax for a solid eight hours,” he shared. “I’ve been feeling incredibly stressed and disheartened.”
The city’s right to shelter protections for adult migrants has been weakened, leading to a change in policy. Now, these individuals are limited to a 30-day stay at shelters before they are required to find alternative housing. This has resulted in a growing queue of hundreds of people at the intake center. While the intention behind this change is to prevent families with children from experiencing homelessness, it also means that additional restrictions may be imposed on the thousands of migrant families with children who predominantly seek shelter.
In the weeks after Christmas, thousands of eviction notices were about to reach their 60-day deadline. These notices were a part of the city’s plan to discourage more people from moving to New York and to encourage those living in shelters to seek other housing options.
City Hall has not provided a comment in response to the inquiry about the termination of the city’s right to shelter and the challenges faced by many migrants waiting for shelter.
‘You’re Killing Us’
Upon entering the East Village reticketing site, individuals are greeted with nourishing sandwiches and fresh fruit as their initial meal. While a fortunate few are able to secure a new cot each day, there are many others who are unfortunately turned away when the facility closes at 7 p.m. These individuals are then directed to different waiting rooms across the city, where they are provided with chairs but not cots.
For the past two weeks, a group of migrants has been opting to skip their usual journey to The Bronx and instead set up a camp outside the East Village site every night. The number of group members varies, with fewer than a dozen individuals enduring the extremely cold temperatures and up to four dozen seeking shelter on warmer nights.
In the evening last week, a gathering of people came together to build temporary shelters using cardboard boxes, salvaged plastic tarps, and wooden slats from old bed-frames. They exchanged tips on how to survive the cold weather, with some mentioning that they had too many belongings to move to a different area of the city, while others voiced a preference for the sidewalk over overcrowded waiting rooms.
“I’m forced to layer up with two pairs of gloves, three pairs of pants, and four jackets,” disclosed Yaleiza Goyo, a 55-year-old woman from Venezuela. She disclosed that she had spent four out of the last five nights sleeping on the sidewalk outside the reticketing center. Firm in her resolve to secure her spot, she asserted, “I have no alternative but to fight for it.”
On Sunday night, there was rain, and the city workers instructed individuals who were sleeping outside to go to a NYPD gym in Gramercy Park. However, Goyo mentioned that they were not permitted to lie down on the floor and had to spend the rest of the night sitting up in folding chairs.
“You’re killing us,” she exclaimed, sitting up in her makeshift cardboard hut. Despite the rain pouring outside, she had no option but to remain there. Putting the finishing touches on her humble abode, she couldn’t help but chuckle. “During times like these, one must find humor in life to keep the tears at bay.”
Goyo was a participant in a rising movement of women who were embracing outdoor camping. Nailett Aponte, a 38-year-old Venezuelan migrant, revealed that she had spent the past week eagerly anticipating a cot, and as a result, she had to sleep outside on most nights.
“They do not provide beds for couples, nor do they offer beds for single women. There is absolutely nothing available,” she expressed in Spanish.
After waiting for seven days, Aponte finally received a cot assignment on Wednesday, as stated by her.
According to THE CITY, many migrants have shared their experiences of losing their jobs in the restaurant and construction sectors while waiting for their turn. Even though they had appointments scheduled in advance, they had to miss them in order to obtain their NYC ID cards, which are crucial forms of identification. These individuals are increasingly worried that they may not receive the required paperwork from the federal government, which is usually sent to their previous shelters, thus impeding their ability to work legally.
Their quest to find an extra cot had likely set them back a few weeks in their journey towards independence and permanent housing.
“I can’t believe I’m here, smoking cigarettes and sipping coffee instead of being at work,” Krist Benitez expressed in Spanish with a tinge of regret. He revealed that his homelessness had cost him job opportunities as a dishwasher, as he had been forced to sleep on the streets while waiting for a spot in a shelter. clutching a folder containing vital documents, Krist anxiously discussed the fate of his city ID and Occupational Safety and Health Administration certification. These papers were essential for his prospects in the construction industry, but they were currently en route to his previous shelter, leaving him uncertain about their accessibility and whether he would be able to retrieve them.”
He was baffled and expressed his confusion, stating, “I can’t wrap my head around it.”
Many people have already given up on waiting. Some lucky ones have been able to find a rented room or a couch to stay on. Meanwhile, others have taken advantage of free tickets to experience life in different cities and states. Sadly, many others have been forced to live in unsafe conditions on the streets and subways. City officials assert that only 20 percent of those expelled from shelters come back for another placement, but there is no data on the whereabouts of the rest of the individuals.
After his 30-day stay in shelters came to an end, David, a Venezuelan migrant who preferred to keep his full name undisclosed, made the decision to give up on finding another place to stay. He had learned about the disorganized reticketing center through word of mouth.
In the days that followed, he slept in a friend’s van.
“It’s a tough situation,” he told THE CITY in Spanish, expressing his determination to stay until he finds a room.
‘New Yorkers Are Pissed’
Over the past two weeks, New York City has experienced a period of chaos. This turmoil can be attributed to the large number of migrants, totaling more than 140,000, who have made their way to the city over the past year. The main draw for these individuals has been the city’s right to shelter, which, up until recently, guaranteed them a place to stay as they sought to establish stability in their lives.
Mayor Adams argues that the city’s “right to shelter” rule is outdated and imposes a financial burden on New Yorkers because of the increasing number of new residents.
Back in 1981, the city was legally obligated to allocate a mere 125 beds for homeless New Yorkers, specifically targeting adult men. However, the current scenario is far from that reality. The number of individuals seeking shelter has surged to an alarming 122,100, with an astonishing 65,000 of them being migrants. This figure alone surpasses the entire population of Hartford, Connecticut.
In October, during a press conference, Adams shared his opinion in a direct and candid manner.
In the city, there are currently two contrasting viewpoints. One viewpoint asserts that individuals from any corner of the globe can come to New York and anticipate the city to cater to all their needs indefinitely. This encompasses provisions such as food, shelter, clothing, laundry services, medical care, and even psychological support, all financed by the taxpayers of New York City. Nevertheless, another perspective strongly opposes this notion.
Here is the re-written paragraph:
Over the years, several mayors, including Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, have made efforts to overturn the mandates of the 1981 Callahan decree, but none have succeeded. In 2009, when the waiting rooms of shelters were overcrowded with people sleeping on the floors, the Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless took the city to court. Consequently, a judge ordered the city to furnish hundreds of extra beds for the homeless population in New York.
Over the past year, New York has witnessed numerous violations of the rules set forth in the decree due to the influx of tens of thousands of migrants. The longstanding protections, including the mandate to keep beds spaced three feet apart, have been disregarded for months now. The situation reached its peak during the summer when these safeguards completely crumbled, leaving hundreds of migrants exposed to the scorching heat wave and forcing them to sleep on the sidewalk for an entire week.
Adams has been teasing a plan for quite some time now. The plan entails locating open and roomy outdoor spaces where migrants can be accommodated in their own personal tents, along with access to necessary facilities like bathrooms and showers. This initiative is being undertaken as a response to the inadequate federal funding and the absence of a comprehensive immigration policy.
In a surprising twist, the next phase has been rolled out by the Adams administration, deviating slightly from the mayor’s initial proposal. The East Village “reticketing sight” was quietly introduced in October, representing a significant shift in the city’s strategy. Migrants were no longer guaranteed a place to sleep but were offered the option to secure a plane ticket to any state or country instead. As a result, an ample number of cots became accessible in shelters, catering to those seeking an extended 30-day stay within a reasonable timeframe.
During the Thanksgiving holiday, an unexpected surge of migrant adults from the southern border disrupted the once stable situation in the city. Consequently, the city has been grappling with a daily deficit of hundreds of cots for adult migrants.
According to Diane Enobabor, the founder of the Black and Arab Migrant Solidarity Alliance, this phenomenon can be described as “organized abandonment.” In such situations, people have various options available to them. Some may choose to wait for things to improve, while others may opt to leave. Tragically, there are also many individuals who may inadvertently fall through the cracks.
Enobabor emphasized the importance of not hesitating to acknowledge that there will be individuals who will lose their lives. He reiterated this point by stating, “Some will die.”
Attorney Joshua Goldfein, who represents the Coalition for the Homeless, emphasizes that although it might be difficult to obtain a cot promptly, it doesn’t imply that New Yorkers are no longer entitled to one. Goldfein maintains consistent communication with city officials, urging them to uphold the regulations.
“There is a court order in place, and it must be enforced,” he said. “It is evident that they are not complying with the order. So, the important question now is what steps will be taken to address this non-compliance.”
‘I Don’t Have Deportation Powers’
Adams faces increasing criticism from progressive leftists, although polls indicate that he aligns with the majority of New Yorkers who are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. The mayor attributes the necessity for sudden mid-year budget cuts, which would affect vital services like police, fire, sanitation, schools, and libraries, to the exorbitant costs linked to migrant care.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Adams acknowledged the public’s frustration with the poll numbers and expressed his understanding. He mentioned that through his conversations with people, he has observed a strong sense of anger and empathized with their sentiments.
Eric often faces questions about his decision to let buses enter without stopping them. In response, he clarifies that he lacks the authority to deport individuals or redirect buses. His primary role revolves around budget management and maintaining fiscal balance.
‘No One Told Me the Truth’
Jesus Lopez, a Venezuelan teenager, recently recounted his journey of crossing the border alone. In the span of a month, he arrived in Texas and was fortunate to find a free bus ride to Chicago. However, life in the Windy City was far from ideal, as he spent three weeks sleeping on the floor of a police precinct. It was during this time that he connected with other migrants who informed him about the better opportunities available in New York City. Motivated by the prospect of a brighter future, Jesus embarked on a bus journey to the Big Apple. However, upon arrival, he found himself disoriented and lost, spending an entire week wandering the streets without a jacket. Desperate for shelter, he resorted to seeking warmth on subways and any available spot that could provide some respite from the cold.
While he was on the train, someone told him about the main migrant intake center situated at the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown.
In terms of placements in New York, city officials have emphasized that priority is given to newly arrived adults over those who have already spent 30 days in shelters. However, despite this policy, Lopez revealed that he was turned away and instructed to visit the reticketing site, where he joined thousands of others in search of a 30-day stay. Throughout the past week, Lopez recounted his experiences of shuttling between the waiting rooms in the East Village and The Bronx, enduring sleep deprivation, limited access to food, and a lack of opportunities for showers.
As he stepped outside the overcrowded overnight waiting room in The Bronx on Tuesday night, Lopez’s teeth chattered in the freezing temperatures. He commented that his time in New York had been comparatively better than his previous encounter in Chicago, but the entire situation still made him feel uneasy.
“I’m absolutely astounded that nobody informed me of the truth. It’s truly shocking,” he exclaimed in Spanish, his disbelief evident as he found out he had been assigned the number 3,752 for a cot. “I’m speechless. I’m unsure of what to even think.”
Also Read:
- Texas Installs Anti-Climb Fence at Busy Border to Stop Illegal Immigration
- NYPD: Knife-Wielding Suspects Rob 13-Year-Old Boy In Sheepshead Bay, Still At Large
- NOPD Seeking Help On Identifying Oak Street Business Burglary Suspects
