Inside St Brigid’s, a shuttered Catholic school in the East Village, the city is housing migrants temporarily in a respite site.

According to a spokesperson from the mayor’s office, the respite sites are equivalent to a "waiting room" until placement can be found as the city is receiving hundreds of migrants a day — even though there is no room left to house them.

St. Brigid’s has been closed to students since 2019, according to the Archdiocese of New York.

What You Need To Know

  • St Brigid's, a shuttered Catholic school in the East Village, is one of a handful of respite sites opening to house migrants temporarily

  • According to a spokesperson from the mayor’s office, the respite sites are equivalent to a “waiting room” until placement can be found

  • The respite centers are opening as Mayor Eric Adams petitioned a judge to temporarily suspend the city’s long standing right to shelter laws earlier this week

NY1 learned it opened its doors to migrants Thursday morning.

Some people told NY1 off-camera that the accommodations are good, but there are no showers or laundry on site.

This location is one of a handful opening quietly across the city.

According to a report from our partner The City, migrants are also being housed in a former church and a closed judo gym in Astoria, Queens.

NY1 spoke to some people staying in a Midtown office that once belonged to Touro College.

“We’re here in this shelter. We don’t have anywhere to shower, we don’t have food. I’m here with my wife and my wife’s daughter. They haven’t slept in four days because they’re sleeping in cots,” said Isaia Colina, a migrant from Venezuela.

Colina says the conditions are rough, but he is hopeful for the future.

“The hardest part about being here is to be without work. We don’t sleep well, any of us. Those that have become citizens are lucky, they’re in a stable place,” said Colina.

Back in the East Village, some who live and work in the area say the city is doing the best that it can during a challenging time.

“At least we’re trying to get everyone somewhere. I say for the average New Yorker it’s hard to get a place to live, and I’d say they’re getting even more help than a lot of people get,” said Randy Rollins, a Parkchester resident.

The respite centers are opening as Mayor Eric Adams petitioned a judge to temporarily suspend the city’s long standing “right-to-shelter” laws earlier this week.

He says officials are no longer able to house every homeless person who needs temporary accommodations.