By Gus Saltonstall
The two migrant shelters on the Upper West Side will close on February 1, 2025, Councilmember Gale Brewer announced Tuesday morning, shortly after Mayor Eric Adams made public that 15 migrant shelters across the city will shutter by this upcoming March.
The pair of Upper West Side shelters that will close are the Amsterdam Humanitarian Response and Relief Center at 205-207 West 85th Street, and the Stratford Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center at 117 West 70th Street.
“Families will return to arrival center for new placement,” Brewer wrote about the two Upper West Side closures. “Kids will stay in current school or move to school near new shelter.”
The shelters will close due to a recent decrease in the number of migrants arriving in New York City, as the number of new asylum seekers in city shelters is at its lowest point in 17 months, according to Adams.
“Our intensive case management, paired with 30- and 60-day policies, have helped more than 170,000 migrants take their next steps on their journeys, because migrants don’t come here to live in our shelter system — they come here to pursue the American Dream,” Adams said in a news release.
Brewer told West Side Rag that there would be no new shelters opened in the future at either Upper West Side location to the “best of her knowledge.” She added that the Department of Homeless Services “committed” to her there would be no new shelters at either address.
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It is my understanding that migrant families who need shelter will be placed in regular DHS family homeless locations (hotels, residences etc) with services administered by non-profits connected to those locations.
Thus instead of separate shelter placements for migrant families and non-migrant families, going forward they will be in same locations.
Will it then re-open as part of the “shelter system”
Who’s the next tenant at these locations?
If Gale Brewer has her way, my bet would be a homeless shelter
“To the best of her knowledge” is not comforting
from the OP: “migrants don’t come here to live in our shelter system — they come here to pursue the American Dream,” Adams said in a news release.”
Wait, what? i thought the people getting free lodging etc were getting it because they were asylum seekers. But now even Adams, who opposed their entry, now redefines them on the lines of immigrants who go through the steps required, acknowledging that their motives are economic? If these people are not asylum seekers, then the citizens should not have to pay their expenses. Adams’ wording pulls back the curtain.
No wonder many people who went through the steps required for immigration voted Republican in the last election.
I am curious about the shelters on 87th off Amsterdam and 88th off Riverside. Are they permanent shelters! Are they going to be transitioned to Any family shelters?
Will The Newton Hotel ever be a hotel again? Always used to be populated by lots of European tourists who supported the neighborhood’s economy.
About time, the Stratford Arms was so mismanaged by Health and Human Services. It’s been hell for the residents on W70th since they moved in in June 2023. I have no sympathy. Everyone on the street hated it, from the immigrant doormen, parking people, cleaners,…this wasn’t a NIMBY thing. The whole street was disturbed. I really think people misread the situation and ergo, the republicans in charge.
Please renovate these buildings and turn them into legitimate hotels or regular housing.
One can now hope that the Watson Hotel on W. 57th will be next on the closure list. This too was once a destination for European tourists who patronized the local businesses particularly the diners and bodegas. It is now a scaffold shrouded migrant shelter. To make matters worse the migrants are now selling prepared food out of coolers on street corners. Why is there no enforcement against this unlicensed peddling?
I take little comfort from the statement from Gale re the future of these locations. We have had many shelters appear without her knowledge and where she then claims she has no control over DHS. But she will write a letter and state her disapproval. They will form a neighborhood task force and after the first meeting it gets disbanded. How about actively find a suitable purpose for these buildings to address what is constantly the complaint from her constituents. Inadequate permanent affordable housing. One that benefits both permanent residents and businesses that make up our community. No more homeless shelters please. Thank you.
I thought there was also one on West 83?
This is good news but only underscores why we don’t need another shelter at 160 West 74th Street, the location of the old Calhoun School. We NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING! How deaf does the city have to be to not listen to our relentless request to examine the viability of this proposed shelter, the enormous taxpayer cost and waste, and the overall misguided nature of this decision??? Gale Brewer is in full support of this building being affordable housing, or, equally, to remain a school and fulfill our desperate need for more classrooom space.
Waldorf Astoria re-opening. I’m sure the City will put them there.
Pythian It’s a NIMBY thing
Most “regular” family shelters are an unmitigated disaster with crammed accommodations and not many programs if at all, located in far away areas with limited public transportation and where schools aren’t among the best performing. Just like when people first arrived here and were being assigned to regular shelters, some chose to live on the street because they felt safer. While the NIMBYs including Brewer may be celebrating the re-whitening of the neighborhood I feel sad reading some of these comments.
“re-whitening of the neighborhood”?! This is nothing but another race-baiting comment.
I’m not going to go cry to the moderator because I happen to believe in free speech, but if WSR publishes this nonsense, why not publish everything?
A question for Vera – why resident Nyers have to live in what you described an “unmitigated disaster” but the migrants, good percentage of whom we already clearly saw are not here for good reasons, should get better accommodations at tax-payer expense, which was unheard of till 3 years ago?
I have to say i’m totally appalled by this comment
When will Staten Island ever get its fair share of shelters? They always seem to get away scot free.
I can’t help comparing this story – rife with misery – with the story about the Michelin restaurant with their exorbitant tasting menus.
Trump – 1
NY Politicians – 0
To Vera K.
City DHS uses sites all over NYC – Tier 2 shelters which are like apartments and also hotels.
Children in DHS sites can go to their old school (via city school bus) or the school by the shelter
Vera K,
Also examples of Tier II include residences such as run by WIN and Volunteers of America both of which have locations in Manhattan.
DHS contracts to provide services at all family sites.