MIDTOWN EAST, Manhattan (WABC) — New York City is searching for more migrant housing locations after the Roosevelt Hotel completely filled up.
The Mayor’s Office says more than 93,000 asylum seekers have come through the city’s intake system since last spring.
On Sunday morning, asylum seekers could be seen leaving the Roosevelt and getting on MTA buses to head out to the Bronx.
Over the weekend, a line wrapped around Vanderbilt Avenue, as dozens of asylum seekers waited for a chance to get into the city’s processing center at the Roosevelt Hotel.
Many cried out for the bare necessities, such as food, as they waited in the humidity and rain.
In the thick of sweltering heat, families boarded a bus provided by the city for some relief – one family from Ecuador still had some burning questions.
“I don’t know where they will give us shelter,” they said.
Their journey here hasn’t been easy and many say this wasn’t what they expected.
“It’s just a little chaotic. I come into work today and you can’t move. They’re in front of the restaurant, they’re sitting down. It’s not their fault, but it’s a little crazy,” said Zelka Kalaj, a worker at a nearby pizzeria.
The city says more asylum seekers are expected arrive here throughout the next couple of weeks.
“Children and families continue to be prioritized and are found a bed every night. While we at least offered all adults a temporary place to wait off the sidewalks last night, some may have chosen to sleep outside and, in all honesty, New Yorkers may continue to see that more and more as hundreds of asylum seekers continue to arrive each day,” the mayor’s office said.
Officials are encouraging migrant to try to take placement outside the city once it becomes available.
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