Mayor Adams announces migrant shelter closures amid decline

New York City Mayor Eric Adams revealed plans today to close 25 migrant shelters, including the Floyd Bennett Field Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center, citing a 22-week decline in the city’s shelter census.

The closures, part of the administration’s strategic response to the asylum seeker crisis, are expected to save the city $2.3 billion.

“Thanks to our smart management strategies, we’ve turned the corner,” said Mayor Adams. “This additional slate of shelter closures we’re announcing today is even more proof that we’re managing this crisis better than any other city in the nation. Migrants don’t come here to live in our shelter system — they come here to pursue the American Dream. We’re going to continue looking for more sites to consolidate and close, and more opportunities to save taxpayer money.”

The announcement follows extensive measures by the administration, including advocacy for federal border orders and the implementation of reticketing programs, case management, and 30- and 60-day notices to streamline services. These efforts have helped more than 170,000 migrants transition out of shelters, significantly reducing pressure on city resources.

Floyd Bennett Field, which has served as a critical shelter since its activation, will cease operations in the coming months. “At the height of this humanitarian response, the Floyd Bennett Field activation served as a relief valve to provide critical shelter and resources to hundreds of families at their greatest time of need,” said Molly Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Asylum Seeker Operations. “Today’s announcement reflects the tireless commitment of our teams to ensure people are ready to move on to the next steps in their journeys to self-sufficiency.”

The closures include shelters across all boroughs and beyond, such as the El Rancho Hotel in the Bronx, the Essence at JFK in Queens, and the Randall’s Island Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center in Manhattan. Outside the city, shelters like the Ramada Plaza in Albany and the Red Roof Inn Plus in Amherst are also slated for closure.

Since 2022, New York City has processed over 225,000 asylum seekers, creating a first-in-the-nation Asylum Application Help Center that has facilitated nearly 87,000 applications for work authorization, asylum, and temporary protected status. Over 70% of eligible adults in the city’s care now possess or have applied for work authorization.

The administration’s intensive case management efforts, launched in October 2023, have also increased the rate of families transitioning out of shelters by 42% weekly. These measures, alongside federal support and targeted spending cuts, have allowed the city to reduce its asylum seeker budget by $2.3 billion for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.