BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Imagine living with your children in a hotel for nearly a year. That's what has happened to the 500 asylum seekers who came to Buffalo from New York City last June and July.
They were sent to hotels in Cheektowaga and Amherst where they remain, but now there are efforts to move them into better housing.
You may recall last August, I brought you a small glimpse into the life of the children of asylum-seeker families living in local hotels.
That's when I spoke with Buffalo resident Elizabeth Meg Williams, who has been tirelessly collecting items and bikes for the 91 migrant children who range in age from infants to teens.
“The kids are literally sitting in hotel rooms, in a hallway. You know four or five kids in one room. No pools,” remarked Williams in our August 2023 interview.
READ MORE: ‘Children don't have a choice in migration ever’: Helping children of asylum seekers
“We’re trying to get people out of hotels and into apartments,” declared State Senator Sean Ryan.
Senator Ryan of Buffalo is looking into the matter and wants them placed in better housing.
“We want to get them out of the hotels. We want to get them into stable housing and to convince New York City that they can save a lot of money by pulling people out of the hotels and getting them into apartments,” remarked Ryan.
Senator Ryan met with reporters virtually Thursday, saying he's been talking with New York City and local resettlement agencies for several months hoping to assist the asylum seekers.
According to a Syracuse University-based data research group, there are just under 2,899 pending cases in immigration court in Buffalo with the greatest number of asylum seekers coming from Cuba.
Ryan was asked about speculation that New York City plans to send more migrants into our region. He says he is not aware of this and is focusing on the families already here.
“Families are not supposed to be living in hotels for the long term and we had hoped to get people out of the hotels prior to the second semester of school,” replied Ryan.
“With housing shortages, is there availability here in our Western New York region?” Buckley asked. “We're talking 500 people, not households. We're a county of a million people. People move in and out all the time and because of the rates New York City has been paying for the hotels are so high, we're able to save New York City money and we can move people in to not the bottom of the housing market, where there is the most pressure,” responded Ryan.
Meanwhile, work continues to help families. Justice for Migrant Families has been hosting cooking classes and other events to get migrants into the community.
“Is there anything we in the community can send or do to help out?” Buckley questioned. “Send grocery cards to Justice for Migrant Families. It would be really fantastic,” answered Jennifer Connor, executive director, Justice for Migrant Families. “The grocery cards are really important. We use them for the cooking events, so they're just a vital link.”
Connor tells me the goal is to work to have people live in our communities and become “integrated”.
I did reach out to Jewish Family Services who issued this statement on working to improve the housing situation for the asylum seekers.
JFS said it acknowledges it has had "various discussions with New York City", but "nothing has been finalized and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."
