Mayor Adams Announces New Placement of Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center to Assist Families with Children Seeking Asylum

November 29, 2022

Stewart Hotel to Transition from DSS Shelter to Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the city will soon open a fourth Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center that will serve asylum seekers arriving in New York City. As the estimated number of asylum seekers in New York City surpasses at least 27,200, this specific humanitarian relief center will assist newly arriving single families with children and provide them with a range of services, in addition to ensuring they can reach their desired destination, if not New York City. This humanitarian relief center will be located at the Stewart Hotel, which will transition in the coming weeks from operating as a New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) emergency shelter and will include 600 rooms to serve asylum seekers. All families currently staying on site will be offered the opportunity to stay at the hotel or move to a different DSS shelter.

“As the number of asylum seekers arriving in New York City continues to grow, our top priority remains meeting people’s immediate needs with care and compassion,” said Mayor Adams. “This fourth Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center will provide asylum seekers with a place to stay, access support, and get to their final destination. With over 19,500 asylum seekers currently in our care, a number that continues to grow, it’s clear that we need federal and state support quickly to manage this crisis.”

“Over the last few months, we have adapted as the asylum seeker situation requires,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Once open, this will be our fourth Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center that provides a range of services to meet the needs of children, families, and individuals coming to New York City to settle or moving through to their desired destination. Thank you to the teams across government and in our nonprofit sector working together to deliver services each and every day.”

“This administration is about finding solutions,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. “Since the beginning of this crisis, we have met the challenges it brings head-on, and will continue to do so. This is the latest in our comprehensive efforts to care for and support asylum-seeking families however we can.”

“Our city remains steadfastly committed to supporting asylum seeking families as they complete their journeys,” said Ted Long, MD, MHS, senior vice president, Ambulatory Care and Population Health, NYC Health + Hospitals. “With this fourth humanitarian center, we build upon the experience and success of our work supporting families with children at the Row Hotel by offering medical care, nutrition, mental health support, language access, connection to schools, technology, and resettlement services. I am proud to be a part of the Adams administration’s unwavering efforts to provide those seeking a better life in our country with compassion and care.”

“The latest Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center opening will provide asylum seekers numerous resources in order to support this growing humanitarian crisis,” said New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol. “The city will continue to work diligently to provide a seamless transition into American society.”

Since this humanitarian crisis began, the city has — largely on its own — taken fast and urgent action, managing the arrival of a rapidly increasing number of buses across New York City with virtually no coordination from states sending them — opening 56 hotels as emergency shelters and three other humanitarian relief centers already, standing up a navigation center to connect asylum seekers with critical resources, enrolling children in public schools through Project Open Arms, and more.
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