Upstate NY administrator county suggests potential influx of migrants could exacerbate current homeless crisis
Ontario County Administrator Chris DeBolt shares concerns over the potential to house asylum seekers, considering they are already struggling with an 'emergency housing component.'
EXCLUSIVE – Some New York counties are dueling with multiple crises as say they are ill-equipped to welcome asylum seekers while already struggling to house the homeless.
New York City has begun to bus some migrants to the suburbs as officials struggle to house tens of thousands of asylum seekers following the expiration of the pandemic-era asylum restrictions under Title 42. Most recently, Mayor Eric Adams caught backlash for suggesting housing migrants in private residences in the Big Apple.
For Ontario County in western New York, the influx of migrants has the potential to exacerbate an already growing housing crisis, county administrator Chris DeBolt told Fox News Digital.
"On any one given night, we average around 175 homeless individuals that we're trying to place through the Department of Social Services," DeBolt told Fox News Digital. "And finding hotel rooms for temporary emergency placements for those individuals has proved increasingly difficult as of late. So we've kind of got the emergency housing component that we're struggling with the current population. And then, in general, housing of all types is an issue across the county."
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Asylum seekers arrive to the Roosevelt Hotel on Friday, May 19, 2023, in New York. The historic hotel in midtown Manhattan shuttered three years ago will accommodate an anticipated influx of asylum seekers just as other New York City hotels are being converted to emergency shelters. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
For the past six months, the Ontario County's board of supervisors has been working on a housing assessment to try to make some policy changes to alleviate the shortage of housing experienced across the county. Part of the discussion regarding the potential arrival of asylum seekers, DeBolt said, was how they are "already experiencing a shortage - a shortage of both permanent housing and temporary emergency housing."
As a rural/suburban county, Ontario does not have as many of the resources that some of the more urbanized counties do, DeBolt argued. Additionally, if there are certain services that some asylum seekers would need, those are some of the components they would want articulated in a plan.
In their draft resolution, DeBolt said they have also noted some aspects regarding the vaccination status of the asylum seekers, considering many are coming from Central and South American countries that do not abide by the same vaccine regimens. From there, they would need to come up with a plan to work with their local health department to make sure those individuals can receive vaccinations.
The administrator said that while there has been "no" communication with New York City on the matter, he is in regular talks with Gov. Kathy Hochul's office.
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"New York City officials to this point - no communication," DeBolt said. "I think the way they're trying to do it, the city communicates directly with the state, and then the state communicates with the counties. We have at least weekly meetings with the governor and her staff. And I do have to say that I have been probably in daily conversations with the governor's staff on this matter. So the communication has been OK."
Ontario County administration Chris DeBolt shares concerns about a potential influx of migrants. (Fox News Digital)
While DeBolt said the county would like to have more information, he does not believe it is because of a lack of trying to communicate, but because "those details just aren't known right now."
Several New York counties, including Orleans, Genesee and Steuben counties, have issued state of emergency declarations, with many citing housing as a concern.
"My first responsibility is to protect Monroe County and create a reasonable infrastructure around what’s happening," Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said of his emergency order, according to RochesterFirst.com. "So we created this emergency order that would essentially require any hotel, motel, that’s going to contract with other governments, whether that be other states, with other cities that are going to bring migrants that they have to submit a plan to Monroe County that’s approved to show how you’re going to take care of these people."
"That is the humane approach; it’s a reasonable approach to how to handle this situation, and I think it protects both Monroe County and our residents and also protects those who are seeking asylum in the United States," he added.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams listens to Gov. Kathy Hochul deliver her State of the State address in the Assembly Chamber at the state Capitol on Jan. 10, 2023, in Albany, New York. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)
"It is hypocritical, and frankly it is maddening to then turn around and do the exact same thing to a county that isn't even a sanctuary county," Rockland County Executive Ed Day said of the proposed plan to send migrants to counties throughout the state, CBS News reported. "We are not equipped humanely to assist these individuals, which eventually we're going to have to do. But we do not have the infrastructure to do this."
"We understand New York City is in a crisis situation, and we’re prepared to be helpful at some level, and everybody will have their own strategies," Westchester County executive George Latimer said, according to Politico.
New York real estate attorney Pierre Debbas said that New York City itself was already trying to manage a homeless crisis before the arrival of asylum seekers.
"Prior to the influx of migrants coming to NYC, the city was already in the midst of a homeless crisis," Debbas told Fox News Digital. "Adding all of the migrants to the equation is only compounding the problem which the city is not equipped to handle. The city has already lost millions of dollars of tax revenue and that will only continue with the drastic decline of commercial real estate values and subsequently property tax revenue over the next several years."
Legal expert Steve Toland remarked on the expected legal challenges that will arise from the migrant crisis.
"Many neighboring counties have declared a state of emergency, and in so doing, refused to receive relocated migrants," he told Fox News Digital. "Other counties have voluntarily received migrants and, along with several hotels, have filed suit against counties who refuse to share in the receipt and relocation of asylum-seeking migrants. As the problem grows, this type of legal issue will become more common. The key constitutional question becomes whether an executive order from a gubernatorial authority can override the local counties who declared states of emergency."
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Fabien Levy, press secretary for Mayor Adams, said they need the whole state to "do their part" to help house the overwhelming amount of asylum seekers.
"As we’ve been saying for months, we are in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, having opened more than 155 emergency sites, including nine large-scale humanitarian relief centers, to serve over 72,000 asylum seekers that have arrived in our city and come into our intake system," Levy said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Every day, we receive hundreds of additional asylum seekers and we are out of space. New York City has done and will continue to do its part, but we need counties, cities, and towns across the state to do their part as well, especially when New York City is willing to pay for shelter, food, and more."
"In most areas, we’re not even asking localities to help manage 1/4 of 1% of the asylum seekers that have arrived in New York City, and again with New York covering the costs. Many elected officials, community groups, and faith institutions have been overwhelmingly supportive and enthusiastic about welcoming these new New Yorkers to their cities and towns. We are grateful for their support and that of the many elected officials who know that new immigrants have been and will continue to grow local economies and enrich local communities. We will continue to communicate with local elected officials as we open move to other localities."
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The Ontario County Board of Supervisors failed to pass a resolution expressing concerns over the number of potential asylum-seekers last Thursday and are expected to revisit talks in a few weeks.
"Traditionally immigration reform is considered the third rail of politics," Toland said. "However, the expiration of Title 42 last month has understandably raised concern for an influx of asylum-seeking migrants to the United States, and as such, government officials may be forced to finally resolve this issue with substantive reform over political bickering."