New York Governor Kathy Hochul is currently eyeing New York's state college dormitories as an option to house the thousands of migrants coming into New York City. On Monday, two of the state’s congressional representatives said New York colleges and universities should allow their student dorms and apartments to be utilized as housing for asylum seekers this summer. The city continues to struggle to find room for the tens of thousands of migrants who are flooding into New York.
The three campuses identified as possible holding shelters for the asylum-seekers are the University at Buffalo, Stony Brook University, and the University at Albany. Other college campuses are also being considered.
In a letter to the heads of CUNY, SUNY, NYU and a coalition of local independent institutions, Democratic New York Reps. Dan Goldman and Jamaal Bowman said the educational systems should have plenty of “available space on your campuses that may be suitable to provide shelter for new arrivals” during the summer break.
“During the summer, many of your institutions have empty dorm rooms, student apartments, and other potentially appropriate places for shelter that can serve as much-needed temporary housing for migrants,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily News. “We also ask for your help as we work with local leaders to provide food assistance and other necessities as well as pro bono legal assistance to migrant families arriving in New York.”
In a statement provided to Spectrum News, a SUNY spokesperson said: "At Governor Hochul's direction, we are assessing whether there are SUNY resources available to help with the arrival of asylum seekers."
"Clearly a SUNY campus lends itself to immediate help, but long-term, we have to have it free by August. So, what happens in August?" Hochul said in an interview with Spectrum News.
"So these are the questions we're asking right now," she added. "We are looking at every possible property in the state of New York to help have a relief valve for the city of New York."
Governor Hochul acknowledges that in late August, when students return, the migrants will have to be housed elsewhere.
As of this writing, where the migrants will be placed once campuses begin their fall semesters has not been determined.
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