New York state and New York City officials are set to disclose their proposed budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, with immigration emerging as a major focus. As New York City supports nearly 70,000 migrants in shelters, there’s a pressing need for additional funds to continue caring for them with food, shelter and medical care.
Projections from state officials indicate that addressing the migrant crisis will incur a substantial cost, estimating it to reach $10 billion for New York City by the summer of 2025.
Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a $233 billion budget for the state, earmarking $2.4 billion to assist New York City in managing the costs of migrant care, including $500 million from the state’s reserves.
“We must support the city of New York in this moment to avoid these disastrous effects and to protect our economy and state revenues in the short-term and long-term as well,” Hochul said. “We’re going to continue focusing on securing work authorization and put the migrants and asylum workers to work. Put them to work! That’s exactly what they came here for.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Adams‘ administration is expected to reveal a proposed $110 billion budget, incorporating spending cuts for some city services. The city faces a $7 billion budget gap due to the ongoing migrant crisis.
Adams stressed the need for Albany and the national government to address the crisis adequately during a news conference Thursday, Jan 11.
In a recent announcement, Adams restored funding to certain city programs, such as the NYPD, NYFD, and after-school summer enrichment programs for students. These restorations follow earlier cuts made in November, where all city departments, including the NYFD and NYPD, were asked to implement 5% budget cuts without compromising essential services. The budget cuts also led to the closure of New York Public Libraries on Sundays as a cost-saving measure.
