New York Mayor Proposes Paying Residents to Host Migrants in Their Homes as Solution to Crisis

New York Mayor Proposes Paying Homeowners to Host Migrants

New York Mayor Eric Adams has suggested paying homeowners up to $100 per day to house migrants, as a solution to the ongoing immigration crisis in the city. The initiative aims to generate more spaces for the homeless and reduce costs for the administration, which has struggled to find sustainable options besides using expensive hotels.

A Win-Win Proposal

The proposal is geared towards individuals who need extra income and have available space in their homes to offer shelter to migrants. Adams believes that asylum in private residences would benefit both homeowners and the city administration, as transitional housing in hotels is becoming increasingly costly.

• 31 counties are sued by the city of New York for the unequal distribution of migrants

By this plan, the cost of housing migrants can be reduced, and the finances of ordinary New Yorkers can be improved, reducing their economic hardship. “There are struggling residents who have vacant rooms right now that can help us, it is cheaper and a wise investment. I would prefer to put money in the pockets of ordinary citizens who can provide accommodations for migrants. We should recycle our own dollars,” Adams said at a press conference on Monday.

A Crisis That Comes at a High Cost

The immigration crisis has forced Adams’s administration to expend billions of dollars in resources, deemed too high and unsustainable by members of the Municipal Council. To date, $1.2 billion has been earmarked for this purpose only in the current fiscal year, and the estimated cost of addressing the immigration crisis is projected to reach $4.3 billion by June next year, according to Adams’s estimation.

• Stifled by migration, New York calls for speeding up work permits for asylum seekers

Controversy and Debate

While the proposal to house migrants in private residences has generated debate and not all New Yorkers have received it well, some believe that the plan has potential. Martha Kelly, of the Woodlawn section of the Bronx, thinks the strategy could work. “Why not? People often open their hearts to others,” she said in an interview with CBS.

Others, such as Sam Waniala, resident of the same area, believe that the mayor is running out of asylum housing options and that the strategy casts a shadow on respect for individual freedom and security. “I may be desperate, but I think you shouldn’t do something under that pressure. The government could interfere with our freedom or our security,” he said.

Churches as Shelters

Adams also announced another measure to solve the immigration crisis: converting 50 churches, temples, and other places of worship into shelters to house more than 1,000 people starting next month. Religious leaders in the city have welcomed the initiative and see it as an opportunity to aid asylum seekers. However, due to state regulations, the facilities will only house 19 migrants. The Reverend Lea Matthews expressed pleasure at the news but cautioned that the authorities should expand their efforts to address the underlying crisis: “I am delighted that the government offers this opportunity, but I do not want the city to lose a single moment of pressure to find more permanent solutions.”