(The Center Square) — New York City has spent nearly $2 billion to cover the cost of housing, food and other expenses for newly arriving asylum-seekers, according to the state’s top bean counter.
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office has created a new online tracker tool showing how much money has been spent by the state and New York City over the past year.
To date, New York State has spent more than $316 million on migrants as of Sept. 30, according to DiNapoli’s office, while New York City has spent $1.89 billion.
DiNapoli said the new tracking tool will “provide transparency on this emergency spending and show why additional funding and logistical support is needed from the federal government.”
“New York City and the state are facing substantial costs for helping people seeking refuge in this country and needing assistance with their basic needs,” he said in a statement.
The bulk of the state’s spending, or about $257 million, has been through the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, which provides emergency housing and other services, according to DiNapoli’s office.
The Office of General Services has spent more than $1.7 million, while the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has spent $653,231, the report noted.
New York City spent $1.47 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30 and about $420 million in the current fiscal year, according to DiNapoli’s office. Most of the city’s spending has been through the state Department of Homeless Services and Department of Social Services for emergency shelter costs.
DiNapoli said updated estimates from the city suggest those costs will rise to $4.7 billion in the next school year and $6.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. That’s in line with the $12 billion New York City Mayor Eric Adams suggested the city would have to pay in coming years to deal with the influx of migrants.
New York state has seen more than 130,000 migrants arrive over the past year amid a surge of immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border that has reached historic levels in recent months. The Big Apple is caring for more than 64,000 migrants in more than 200 “humanitarian” shelters, officials say.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, declared a state of emergency in May as the Title 42 COVID-19 restrictions on asylum were set to expire. The federal policy had allowed the U.S. to expel migrants at the southern border quickly. Hochul has extended the order twice, most recently earlier this month.
The executive powers authorized the state to divert resources to cities and towns to support asylum-seekers, and Hochul deployed National Guard members to provide “logistical and operational support.” Nearly 2,000 troops have been deployed to help with asylum-seeker processing and legal work, according to the administration.
The order allows the state and localities to bypass normal procurement rules to quickly purchase food, supplies and other taxpayer-funded resources for migrants.
