Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement after the Adams administration announced it would not be moving forward with the Orchard Beach Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center for asylum seekers, moving instead to Randall's Island.
"While Orchard Beach was a particularly poor location for a tent shelter given its history of flooding and other factors, a tent shelter anywhere in this city cannot be used to circumvent the right-to-shelter mandate. We’re grateful the administration terminated the Orchard Beach location after cautions and pressure from advocates and local leaders, including our office. At the same time, we can’t see another tent city pop up without basic humanitarian conditions being met, and I hope the administration is more quickly receptive to our concerns moving forward.
"Asylum seekers seeking support, solidarity, and a better life deserve much more than a tent in a transit desert as winter approaches – at the very least, the city should tap into the same resources we used during the height of the pandemic to further open space at hotels or large indoor areas, as well as expedite CityFHEPS vouchers to quickly move unhoused New Yorkers out of shelters and into permanent housing, opening shelter space for asylum seekers.
"New York City has an opportunity to set asylum seekers up for long-term success in our city, state, and country – we must take steps to make that future a reality instead of abandoning the newest New Yorkers in inadequate housing."
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