As the number of asylum-seekers entering New York City continues to decrease, two more migrant shelters in the city have decided to close down.
Over 400 families have found shelter at the 19-story, 506-unit complex located at 1760 Third Ave. at East 97th Street. This building, which used to be a dormitory for CUNY Hunter and Baruch College students and other educational institutions, is now providing a safe haven for those in need.
The El Rancho hotel, located at 37-01 White Plains Road in The Bronx, has provided accommodations for a total of 15 families so far.
City officials have confirmed that both migrant shelters ceased operations last week.
El Rancho’s representative announced that the hotel, currently vacant, will undergo renovations in order to reopen as a commercial hotel.
The future purpose of the former CUNY dorm, now under private ownership, remains uncertain.
Between November 11th and 17th, the city’s care received a total of over 500 new migrants. However, during the same period, more than 1,100 migrants left the system.
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, is set to visit Texas this week, receiving praise as “the right guy in charge.”
In January, the city experienced an overwhelming influx of new migrant arrivals, with approximately 4,000 individuals coming in on a weekly basis. However, the current situation presents a stark contrast, as the number of new arrivals has significantly decreased.
Earlier this month, two additional hotels that were providing emergency shelter for migrants ceased their operations. These include the 23-room Hotel Merit in Times Square and the 73-room Quality Inn JFK Airport.
Four shelters have closed as the flow of migrants has significantly slowed down.
“New York City is leading the nation in response to the migrant and asylum seeker humanitarian crisis, providing shelter to thousands of people in our care across the five boroughs,” a rep for Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement to The Post.
“We are continuously making progress in improving our migrant shelter operations by emphasizing our resettlement efforts, intensive case management, and the exceptional support provided by our Asylum Application Help Center. Our main goal is to assist those under our care in successfully transitioning to the next phase of their journey.”
Adams had previously made a commitment to shut down all 10 migrant shelters in Albany, Dutchess, Erie, Orange, and Westchester counties next month.
In February, the city intends to shut down the extensive migrant encampment on Randall’s Island. They have significantly reduced the number of migrants being housed there.
The number of hotels and facilities required for city migrant shelters may decrease significantly in the coming year as President-elect Donald Trump and his border czar Tom Homan prepare to take office. They have pledged to take strong action against border crossings and increase deportations of undocumented migrants.
The Adams administration has announced its intention to maintain the use of hotels as emergency shelters in the foreseeable future.
New York City is actively searching for 14,000 hotel rooms to provide shelter for migrants until 2025. The city has already spent over $2.3 billion on housing costs for asylum-seekers in the past three years.
According to city data, there are currently around 150 hotels providing shelter to migrants in New York City. The total expenditure on services for migrants is expected to reach $6.1 billion.
However, it is anticipated that city officials will revise the estimated expenses in the updated budget reports due to the significant decrease in the number of migrants receiving support through accommodations, meals, and other related expenses.
