The city will transition an emergency respite site in Long Island City into a migrant relief center, Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday.
The Austell Place site, near the intersection of Austell Place and Skillman Avenue, will become a “large-scale” congregate shelter for single men, Adams said in a news release.
The center will house up to 330 single men seeking asylum before expanding to house nearly 1,000 asylum seekers, the release said.
“With an average of more than 10,000 asylum seekers arriving in our city every month, and nearly 60,000 migrants currently in our care, New York City has stepped up to meet the challenge of this humanitarian crisis — but we need additional support to keep pace,” Adams said in a statement.
“The transition of this site into a new humanitarian relief center at Austell Place is an important next step in our efforts to do our part, but, as we’ve said month after month, only more support from our state and federal partners and real policy change in Washington will truly address this crisis,” he added.
The city has opened more than 200 emergency shelters so far, including 15 other “large-scale” humanitarian relief centers, according to the release.