Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt Urges Governor Hochul to Consider Alternative Housing Options in New York for Migrants

Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt today sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul expressing continued concern over the lack of a clear plan to house migrants in the midst of an influx that the City and State are clearly unprepared to handle.

In the letter, Senator Ortt urges the consideration of using New York City convention centers and similar venues instead of current reported plans to send them to various locations in Upstate Counties, including SUNY campuses and hotels and motels. 

County Executives throughout the state have expressed concerns on migrant housing plans amidst the ongoing crisis. Many simply do not have the capacity or resources, and others have expressed frustration at the lack of communication from the Governor’s office.

“Instead of housing migrants in public schools in New York City, disrupting childrens’ school days, placing them on SUNY campuses, or housing them in hotels or motels around the state, I urge your administration to look into housing migrants in convention centers and similar venues within New York City as you did during the COVID pandemic. This is a common sense solution to this crisis, as many of these venues exist throughout New York City. Convention centers and similar venues have the resources and services on premises to handle a large number of people without displacing others,” Senator Ortt writes. 

A copy of the letter is attached.