Counties across upstate New York are preparing for a potential influx of migrants seeking housing.
On Tuesday, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello issued an emergency order spelling out a process for hotels, shelters, and apartment buildings to follow if they take groups of them in.
In a statement, Bello said Monroe County is already facing a housing crisis and a shortage of emergency housing. He said transporting busloads of migrants to hotels here without any plans to support them is unfair to both residents and the migrants.
So he has ordered that any hotel, motel, shelter, or multiple-unit dwelling that wants to contract with a municipality, entity, or person to house more than 10 migrants must develop an emergency housing plan. They’d have to submit it to the county for approval.
The plans must address how the parties will provide adequate care and services to the people seeking emergency shelter. It will also require them to prove the accommodations comply with fire and building codes.
Bello said the order doesn’t prevent migrants from coming to Monroe County while they await resolution of their asylum applications.
The order states that any emergency housing plan approved by the county’s Department of Human Services is subject to review every 30 days.
Gov. Kathy Hochul took a swipe this week at county leaders in other parts of the state who have barred the migrants, saying they are adopting “bigoted policies based on fear and intimidation.”
Hochul made the comments on Monday, meeting with New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The two leaders are asking President Joe Biden to waive a rule that says they have to wait six months before migrants can apply for and get a job.
New York City is looking at a possible influx of up to 80,000 migrants, and Hochul said that the migrants are following the legal process of seeking asylum, and that they are eager to work.
