During a Tuesday press conference on the Upper West Side, Mayor Adams said he’d be open to housing asylum seekers at Gracie Mansion in order to get private homeowners to do the same.
As long as it “doesn’t go against legal protocols” which would prevent him from doing so, the mayor clarified.
The question came a day after Adams’ press conference about a new faith-based shelter initiative, during which he also floated the idea of compensating New Yorkers for housing migrants in their private residences.
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“I don’t have a problem if I could put a migrant family in Gracie Mansion, because I want to lead from the front; that’s the type of leader I am,” Adams said. “I’m a big believer in leading from the front, and if it doesn’t go against legal protocols – because there are protocols that are in place, you know I can’t use the building any way I want – but I don’t have a problem if I can put a migrant family in Gracie Mansion, because I want to lead from the front.”
The mayor continued to cite more examples of his leadership style. “I’m in the subway system talking to people who are homeless because I lead from the front.”
When it comes to incentivizing private citizens to house migrants in their homes, few specifics have been shared, but the mayor did conclude his presser with an example. “If someone is struggling in their mortgage and they have a spare bedroom, and we can find a way to say, ‘how can we help you pay your mortgage?’ because of whatever economic challenge you’re going through, by at the same time helping the migrant crisis, we’re willing to do that.”
Charity begins at home. I’m more concerned about first taking care of our own New York City needy people. The poor, underpaid working people who need affordable housing; the mentally ill and addicted people who need support, treatment and a new start; the nannies and house cleaners who are just getting by; the legal immigrants from Central America who do much of our construction work; the gay, and trans who have been abandoned by their families; the forced prostitutes; the people, recently released from prison who need help to get a new start; the aged without family support – to my mind they come before the illegal immigrants who need to wait in line. I have empathy for them but we don’t have room for everyone.
Mayor Adams,
Yes, charity absolutely does begin at home.
You show absolutely no respect or care for New York City residents, legal immigrants, our homeless, those challenged physically, emotionally, and/or economically by prioritizing and accommodating unlimited multitudes of illegal immigrants.
You enacted and continue expanding this absurd travesty at the expense of and to the detriment of all New York City residents.
Sadly, you continue to show profoundly poor administrative and moral decision making and inept leadership.
You continue making life here exponentially undesirable, unpleasant and unhealthy for all concerned. You are not solving problems. You are exacerbating existing problems and making monumental new problems.
New York City quality of life is now at its lowest and declining rapidly by the minute.
As a native New Yorker, I feel that my assessment, perception and conclusion are fair and accurate.
NYC has so many poor and aging New Yorkers that have spent their life time working and taxes their entire life, now taking a backseat to new immigrants that need aid. I think this is lunacy.
Maybe it’s time to vote republicans, why should financially stressed New Yorkers be paying for this aid.
I am a native New Yorker through and through, from my Bronx-born days and Addy Vallins waffles, to my Hunter high school education, to Zabar’s to Carnegie Hall to knishes and sour pickles, but I don’t recognize this city anymore. I am a stranger in a strange land. It is in appalling condition. It eats me up like acid watching preferences go to uninvited, ungrateful people who defile our streets and already are taxing our NYPD with a new flood of violent crime. Why should we be disenfranchised? I don’t think the mayor is a bad person, but I do believe he is an incompetent, horribly stupid person, making a mockery of his office. Maybe if he asks nicely, Hochul will lend him her balls for a few days.