Housing Policy for Asylum Seekers: Analysis of Alternative Policy (Policy Brief)

Statement of Issue

Political and economic instability in Latin America, the Middle East, and across the
world have contributed to an unprecedented surge in asylum seekers arriving in New York City (NYC), which lacks sufficient housing resources to provide shelter to all of the newcomers.Estimates put the number of internationally displaced people across the globe at 100 million (International Rescue Committee, 2023), with the United States facing a backlog of 1.3 million asylum applications as of May 2023 (Migration Policy Institute, 2023). While half a million migrants came to NYC over the past decade (Donnely, 2020), the most recent surge in asylum seekers threatens to overwhelm the city’s strained shelter system (Newman, 2023). Both the federal and municipal governments are legally obligated to provide shelter to asylum seekers based on the United States pursuant to international law (Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, 1967) and NYC’s pursuant to the 1981 “Right to Shelter” decree (Fitzsimmons, 2023).

The asylum seeker housing crisis in NYC requires policy intervention due to the
unsustainable expense of indefinitely housing asylum seekers. NYC’s current policy of housing asylum seekers has overwhelmed available shelter resources, resulting in thousands of individuals forced to sleep on the streets without work or housing (Chadha, 2023). As of September 2023, nearly 60,000 migrants were living in NYC shelters (Freeman, 2023). NYC estimates that the total cost of supporting asylum seekers will surpass 4.3 billion dollars by July 2024, nearly 5% of its annual budget (Saraiva & Sirtori, 2023). Mayor Adams has declared that the asylum housing crisis will “destroy New York City” (Fitzsimmons, 2023). In terms of both economic exigency and human rights concerns, providing housing to asylum seekers in NYC is one of the most pressing issues facing NYC today.

Policy Recommendation

We propose the implementation of a housing voucher system for asylum seekers in NYC. Currently, this voucher system excludes immigrants and immigrant families (Awawdeh & Quinn, 2023). NYC’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program provides the lowest income households an opportunity to rent or purchase decent, safe housing in the private housing market by providing rental and homeownership assistance (New York State, n.d.). This program is operated under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides eligibility criteria and verifies eligibility of households. There are different types of housing vouchers provided by NYC: tenant-based, enhanced, and project based vouchers.

The benefits of a housing voucher system include saving NYC money, flexibility, and reduced congestion in the city. Proposed housing vouchers for asylum seekers could save NYC $3 billion. One night in a welfare hotel costs $383, while one night in permanent housing with a voucher only costs $72 (Mann et al., 2023). On top of that, vouchers offer flexibility for options and choices of housing, allowing asylum seekers to find specific accommodations that meet their needs, including proximity to specific services like education or healthcare. Implementing a system with more inclusion would lower rates of re-entry to shelters and create more permanency for housing opportunities (Awawdeh & Quinn, 2023). Lastly, dispersing asylum seekers across different neighborhoods and all over the state of New York can prevent overcrowding in certain areas, specifically NYC, and alleviate the strain on resources in those regions (Office of the Mayor, 2023). Implementing a housing voucher system will allow asylum seekers to cultivate a better future for themselves and enrich New York’s cultural and economic fabric (Awawdeh & Quinn, 2023). In summary, a housing voucher system for asylum seekers in NYC offers a dignified and effective solution.

Power, Race, Oppression, Privilege

Policy decision-makers need to consider the effect of Power, Race, Oppression, and Privilege when devising the recommended policy. Racial biases are evident in the issue of the migrant crisis, as lighter-skinned European asylum seekers are more favored than those from South America (Lerer & Gabriel, 2023). Policymakers must take account of implicit biases against asylum seekers of color to ensure equal access to permanent housing for all asylum seekers regardless of nationality.

The political opinions on immigration support remain divisive in the United States. Some research has shown that in regions where the population of immigrants is higher, native-born citizens are less supportive of social welfare (Eger & Breznau, 2017). The phenomenon explains the reason that NYC is not fully supportive of asylum seekers, as evident in Mayor Adams’s claim that asylum seekers are “destroying New York City” (Lerer & Gabriel, 2023).

Existing governmental policies and future proposals may obstruct the goal of increasing accessibility and stability for permanent housing for asylum seekers. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) prevents migrants who are not U.S. citizens from accessing federal benefits, which include housing, welfare, and unemployment (Harrington, 2020). Republican politicians, who believe that taxpayers should not take on the cost of the “illegal” immigration, introduced an act that will prevent federal funding from aiding sanctuary cities (Congressman Michael McCaul, 2023). Policymakers need to be aware that the root of the issue lies in a larger context of discrimination against asylum seekers on an interpersonal level and policy level, which can prevent the distribution of funding for housing support. Increasing accessibility to welfare, assistance, and employment in conjunction with funding for permanent housing will strengthen self-sufficiency for asylum seekers (Lee,2023).

References

Awawdeh, M. & Quinn, C. (2023). Opinion: Permanent housing for asylum seekers isn’t just fiscally responsible – it’s our moral obligation. City & State New York.
http://www.cityandstateny.com/opinion/2023/11/opinion-permanent-housing-asylum-seekers-isnt-just-fiscally-responsible-its-our-moral-obligation/392067/
Chadha, J. (2023, September 22). NYC shelters set to dump thousands of migrants to discouragenew arrivals. Politico.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/22/nyc-shelters-migrants-discourage-new-arrivals-00117500

Congressman Michael McCaul. (2023, September 27). McCaul, LaLota introduce bill to hold sanctuary cities like NYC accountable for migrant crisis [Press Release].
http://mccaul.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/mccaul-lalota-introduce-bill-hold-sanctuary-cities-nyc-accountable

Donnelly, F. (2020). New York’s Population and Migration Trends in the 2010s. WCIB Occasional Paper Series. 21.
https://zicklin.baruch.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/09/Paper-Series-Fall-2020-9-8-20.pdf

Eger, M. A., & Breznau, N. (2017). Immigration and the welfare state: A cross-regional analysis of European welfare attitudes. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 58(5), 440–463.

Fitzsimmons, E. (2023, October 4). New York City moves to suspend right to shelter mandate. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/nyregion/eric-adams-right-to-shelter-migrant-crisis.html

Freeman, W. (2023, October 5). Why New York is experiencing a migrant crisis. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/article/why-new-york-experiencing-migrant-crisis

Harrington, B. (2020). PRWORA’s restrictions on noncitizen eligibility for federal public benefits: Legal issues. (CRS Report No. R46510). https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46510

International Rescue Committee. (2023, September 26). Refugee facts, statistics, and FAQs. https://www.rescue.org/article/facts-about-refugees-key-facts-faqs-and-statistics

Lee, T. (2023, January 18). Housing for asylum seekers: Barriers and best practices. National League of Cities. https://www.nlc.org/article/2023/01/18/housing-for-asylum-seekers-barriers-and-best-practices/

Lerer, L., & Gabriel, T. (2023, September 22). Influx of migrants exposes democrats’ division on immigration. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/22/us/politics/migrant-crisis-democrats-cities.html

Mann, C., Moore, T., & Trager, H. (2023). Permanently housing rather than just sheltering asylum seekers could save the city over $3 billion annually. https://winnyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Housing-Instead-of-Emergency-Shelter-for-Asylum-Seekersbriefv4.pdf

Migration Policy Institute. (2023, June 15). Refugees and asylees in the United States. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/refugees-and-asylees-united-states

Newman, A. (2023, August 1). Migrants sleep on the sidewalk, the face of a failing shelter system. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/01/nyregion/nyc-migrants-homelessness.html

New York State. (n.d.). Section 8: Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. Homes and Community Renewal. https://hcr.ny.gov/section-8-housing-choice-voucher-hcv-program#:~:text=Forms-

Office of the Mayor. (2023). Mayor Adams gives New Yorkers ability to use city-funded rental assistance vouchers across New York. The Official Website of the City of New York. https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/701-23/mayor-adams-gives-new-yorkers-ability-use-city-funded-rental-assistance-vouchers-across-new-york

Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, 19 U.S.T. 6223, 606 U.N.T.S. 267, 1967
Saraiva, A. & Sirtori, D. (2023, July 13). New York needs workers. They’re waiting on the sidelines. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-13/new-york-needs-workers-asylum-seekers-are-waiting-on-the-sidelines?sref=vxSzVDP0