City Seeks State Approval to Issue 60-Day Shelter Limit to More Asylum Seekers
New York City is seeking permission to extend a policy limiting shelter stays to a larger population of asylum seekers, including those staying in shelters run by the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), according to an Aug. 9 letter sent to state lawyers.
Last month, the city began issuing 60-day notices to single adult asylum seekers in certain emergency shelters run by agencies other than DHS, saying recipients would have to reapply for a placement if they could not find alternative housing within that window. More than 2,900 notices have been issued so far. Adding adults in DHS shelters could expand the notice-eligibility pool by more than 78 percent.
“The directive as-is is inhumane,” said City Councilmember Shahana Hanif, chair of the Council’s Immigration Committee, predicting that it will lead to increased street homelessness, likening the 60-day notice to “essentially a vacate order.“
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