NYC Plans to Build a Shelter for 1,000 Migrants in a Psychiatric Hospital's Parking Lot

As thousands of asylum seekers continue to arrive in the city each week, New York City will set up a shelter for up to 1,000 migrants in the parking lot of a state psychiatric hospital, officials announced Wednesday.

Adult men seeking refuge will be housed at the new emergency relief center at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital in Queens, New York, according to officials.

The center will also provide amenities like meals and medical attention. At a press conference held at City Hall, Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol noted, “This center will provide not just a place to stay but also critical services to support these individuals on their journey.”

According to Anne Williams-Isom, deputy mayor for health and human services, New York State would give the space at the 300-acre (121-hectare) Creedmoor property and pay the city for setting up and operating the migrant center.

According to officials, there are already more than 56,000 migrants in New York’s custody, and more are arriving every day. While pleading for assistance from the federal government, Mayor Eric Adams has been rushing to find housing for refugees.

Although we have stepped up and taken the nation’s lead, New York City still receives thousands of asylum applicants each week. However, cities shouldn’t be left to handle this national catastrophe alone. We require a federal response to this, the mayor declared in a statement.

Adams, a Democrat, declared last week that any adult asylum seekers without kids now residing in the city’s shelter system will be given 60 days’ notice to find other housing in order to make way for families with kids.

About 100 migrants have so far received notification, according to Dr. Ted Long, senior vice president of the city’s public medical system, which is in charge of the migrant shelters, on Wednesday.

According to officials, the Creedmoor migrant center ought to start operating some time next month. In the past year, New York City has housed asylum seekers in places like a cruise ship terminal and a disused police school, as well as rented out hotels to shelter migrants.