Now that New York City has discovered ways to minimize spending on migrant programs, it will be putting that money back into other city agencies, but at the cost of spending less on housing, food, and security for asylum seekers.
Mayor Eric Adams, who has been consistently slashing the budgets of public programs, most recently in education, announced that he will now be able to restore these planned cuts and lift a hiring freeze, with the help of higher-than-expected tax receipts and a determination to slice the costs of migrant services.
The city’s plan entails making another 10% cut in the asylum seeker budget, which means an additional $600 million contributed to the city’s spending plan, on top of a previous $1.7 billion in savings.
“I would love to say that it was magic, but it really was about discipline,” First Deputy Mayor Sheen Wright claimed in a CBS interview.
Wright also stated that limiting shelter stays has helped with saving significantly, as capping the permitted window at 30 or 60 days has enabled the mayor to cancel the 5% agency reductions that were supposed to go into effect in April.
“Housing costs are the biggest costs, so the fewer people that you have in hotel rooms and other housing, that is a big part of the costs. We’re also being more efficient with other services and support. We’re saving money on food, security and other services,” she added.
With the extra spending cuts, the city will also be able to lift its hiring freeze, which will allow agencies to hire one new employee for every two that have left.
These financial adjustments garnered immediate praise from the teachers union president Michael Mulgrew.
Although, potential cuts to public education are expected to take precedence when the city announces its new budget in the Spring.
