Staten Island community leaders, City Council members protest against possible asylum seeker shelter
NEW YORK -- A rally was held on Staten Island on Saturday protesting a possible plan to turn an assisted living development into a shelter for asylum seekers.
City Council members and community leaders joined residents outside Island Shores Nursing Home in Midland Beach.
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The facility was put up for sale in 2022, and residents were told to move out.
Now, local officials believe the 288-bed site will be used as a shelter for asylum seekers.
"It's going to cost us investments for our parks, investments for our schools and school childrens, beds and homes for our seniors and our veterans," City Council member David Carr said.
Across the five boroughs, 198 emergency shelter sites have been opened.
The New York Immigration Coalition says more needs to be done.
"The real solution here is not a costly expansion of emergency shelter but the more cost-efficient route, which is actually getting people into permanent housing, and doing it quickly is possible. We just have to come together to do that," coalition executive director Murad Awawdeh said.
The city released the following statement: "We continue to be transparent and work with local elected officials to ensure that we are addressing community concerns, but as the mayor has said many times, we are in an unprecedented crisis and no options are off the table."
We've reached out to the Island Shores management company but have not yet heard back.