On July 19th, Mayor Eric Adams announced that, in the coming days, NYC will start to give adult asylum-seekers who are staying in shelters operated by the City "60-day notices" directing them to find other housing accommodations. If they are not able to do so within 60 days, they will lose their current shelter placement–where they have begun to build community ties, and possibly started going to work or receive education and social services–and have to reapply at the arrival center, at which point a new shelter placement may not be available to them. In fact, on the evening of July 19th, many asylum-seekers at the arrival center were given a notice that there were no available beds and they would have to wait–possibly sleeping unsheltered–until accommodations  became available in the future.

We believe that shelter and housing are human rights that apply to everyone, whether you've lived in NYC your whole life or just got here. The City must #Stopthe60DayNotices and provide shelter to all who need it. And just as we welcome any New Yorker experiencing homelessness, we welcome asylum-seekers as neighbors at shelter facilities in our own backyards, even as some residents and politicians have tried to keep them out. 

Join the Open Hearts Initiative in creating a chain of support on social media by posting your support for welcoming asylum-seekers in your neighborhood. The more people who participate, the stronger a message we’ll all send to the city that New Yorkers welcome new neighbors and want everyone to have a place to stay.