More Counties Declare State of Emergency Over NYC Migrant Plan
So far 36 out of 57 counties outside of New York City, along with two towns, have declared State of Emergencies over the irreparable harm that would be caused by Mayor Eric Adams attempting to transform hotels and motels across the state into homeless shelters. The latest municipalities announcing declarations include Albany, Delaware, and Columbia counties.
“Putting profit above people, hotels are now challenging these orders across municipalities, ignoring the fact that hotels and motels cannot legally operate as shelters as it violates not only local zoning law but also New York State rules and regulations for shelters,” said County Executive Ed Day.
We encourage residents to watch a recent House Judiciary Subcommittee meeting for a deeper and broader understanding of the issue that includes commentary from immigration advocate Mark Hetfield, President & CEO of HIAS, retired former U.S. Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott, Town of Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny, and Congressman Mike Lawler who the County of Rockland appreciates for continuing the fight to fix and improve the country’s immigration system once and for all.
Some of the irreparable harm that would be caused by the City of New York’s plan includes compounding the housing crisis the County has due to a lack of housing and affordable housing. The County of Rockland is currently conducting a Housing Needs Assessment which early findings include:
- 177% increase in low-income/subsidized rental housing calls & 160% increase in rental payment assistance calls to the United Way Hotline for Human Services from 2018 through 2022.
- 63% increase in students experiencing homelessness from 2018 through 2022.
The Village of Spring Valley, which the County has been unprecedently deputized to take over Building and Code Enforcement by the State of New York, is ground-zero for illegal housing and unsafe overcrowding. In just one year, the Office of Buildings and Codes issued 7500 violations at 844 properties – averaging 10 per property. The County also mourned the loss of 5 people who died in a house fire in a home that had 18 people living inside.
“The Mayor is setting these folks up for failure; a failure that will result in their inability to support themselves or find safe housing,” concluded County Executive Day.
