According to The New York Post, New York City is facing a worsening migrant crisis that is resulting in additional spending of tens of millions of dollars, with no end in sight. The city has quietly announced that it will spend an additional $20 million on emergency hotels, while Mayor Adams has instructed city agencies to cut $1.1 billion annually for the next four years.
The mayor acknowledged the impact of these measures on service delivery in a speech on Wednesday, stating that it was necessary to be honest with New Yorkers. City records show that migrant emergency shelter costs have increased by approximately $20.87 million, bringing the total to $420.44 million, since the release of Comptroller Brad Lander’s report on the city’s overall migrant spending on March 7.
The exact number of emergency hotels and Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers included in the city’s overall spending on migrants remains unknown as the contracts for each location have not yet been released. In response to the growing migrant costs, Mayor Adams has implemented across-the-board spending cuts.
However, the $420.44 million spent on migrants, as reported in city records, is only about half of the $817 million spent between July 2022 and March of this year, according to the OMB. City Hall has stated that the updated forecast of $4.3 billion now includes increased costs for shelter, food, and other services for asylum seekers, with an estimated $100 million in additional spending projected for fiscal year 2024.
