NEW YORK (NewsNation) — New York City’s newest migrant shelter is estimated to cost New York taxpayers $20 million per month to maintain the shelter’s operations, according to sources cited by the New York Post.
The shelter, which will accommodate 2,000 adult asylum seekers, is located on the city’s Randall’s Island.
This marks the second instance of the city establishing a shelter on the island. In October 2022, the city invested nearly $1 million into a shelter, which closed within two weeks after its launch due to limited utilization.
Since last year, 100,000 migrants have arrived in the city, with nearly 60,000 currently housed in 198 shelters provided by the city.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams calls this situation a crisis, emphasizing that without federal assistance, the city could face costs reaching into the billions.
“We are past our breaking point,” Adams said. “New Yorkers’ compassion may be limitless, but our resources are not.”
Currently, the city says it’s spending $9.8 million per day to provide care to the migrants, translating to $300 million monthly and a total of $3.6 billion annually.
It’s important to note that the city is legally obligated to provide secure shelter for each migrant.
“The cost has grown from our earlier estimates as more people continue to arrive. This is not sustainable,” Adams said.
Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul have recently reached an agreement to transfer 1,200 migrants to different counties across the state.
They’re continuing efforts to identify additional locations to alleviate the strain on New York City. The city is projected to spend more than $12 billion in the next three years unless federal assistance is provided.
Adams is still persistently appealing to President Joe Biden for aid to address the pressing issue.