New York Mayor Eric Adams issued an emergency order suspending land use rules to accelerate the opening of shelters for asylum seekers who are overwhelming the city’s services for the homeless.
The order, which will last for five days, means the city will no longer be required to hold public hearings or undergo the typically cumbersome approval process for opening a new homeless shelter.
The move is the latest in a string of extraordinary measures Adams has undertaken to manage the more than 65,000 asylum seekers who have arrived over the past year. Last week, the Democratic mayor suspended parts of the city’s right to shelter law, which requires New York to provide housing to homeless residents.
Read more: New York City suspends shelter rules as migrant numbers jump
The suspension of land use rules is necessary to “meet the immediate needs of the asylum seekers while continuing to serve the tens of thousands of people” who are currently using the city’s shelter system, according to the order. The order was signed Monday and published on Tuesday.
The most recent daily census available from the city Department of Homeless Services shows 79,762 people were homeless and living in city shelters as of May 14, a record high.
New York has opened 140 emergency shelters and nine humanitarian relief centers to accommodate the swell of migrants, but Adams has said in recent weeks that the city has run out of space.
Last week Adams announced plans to send some migrants to hotels in upstate Orange and Rockland counties, a decision that was met with outrage from some local elected officials, who have sued to stop the city from following through with its plans. And this week, New York has begun using some city school buildings as facilities to house asylum seekers.
In recent weeks, Adams has publicly implored the Biden administration and federal officials to do more to help the city manage the surge of migrants.
“No asylum-seeking family that has sought shelter from us over the last year has slept on the street thanks to our colossal efforts, but without more support from our federal and state partners, we are concerned the worst may be yet to come,” mayoral spokesperson Fabien Levy said in a statement.
(Updates with comment from mayor’s office in final paragraph)
