New York, NY—This week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued an emergency executive order to phase out the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center (HERRC) shelter system for asylum seekers within 45 days. The HERRCs were not subject to the same basic requirements (like spacing, number of beds, kitchen amenities) as homeless shelters run by the Department of Homeless Services (DHS).
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“The HERRC system should have never been created in New York City – and we opposed it from the beginning. HERRCs institutionalized a separate and unequal shelter system, which subjected immigrants to lower safety, health, and accountability standards than those required in the DHS system. Every New Yorker deserves access to a safe place to sleep at night, as they try to build their lives in one of America’s most expensive cities. We applaud this decision and look forward to building a city rooted in fairness, dignity, and equal protection for all in this new era.”