Migrant Shelter & Support Initiatives

Newly Arrived Bus Passengers Disembark, New York City, August 2023

The Covenant | Equipping Houses of Worship | Asylum Seeker Shelter Program | Press Coverage

The Covenant on Behalf of the Newest New Yorkers

One year after the first buses sent by Governor Abbot of Texas pulled up at Port Authority, an estimated 59,400 migrants have joined the tens of thousands of New Yorkers already in need of housing.

In response, diverse faith leaders, secular activists, and volunteers from across the State launched “The Covenant on behalf the Newest New Yorkers”, which will call on government and faith communities to:

welcome new arrivals into our City and State;
see them appropriately sheltered;
provide housing vouchers so they can move out of shelters;
expedite work authorization;
provide education and health services; and
provide legal and pro se assistance with asylum applications

We invite you to take action with ICNY by adding your name to the Covenant here:

Add Your Name to the Covenant Here

Equipping Diverse Houses of Worship

With the help of Trinity Grants, ICNY created the “Equipping Houses of Worship to Support Migrants” program in response to the rapid increase in migrants and asylum seekers arriving in New York City beginning the summer of 2022 to catalyze diverse houses of worship to provide support and shelter for asylum seekers. With this goal, ICNY 1) distributed small grants to diverse faith communities and 2) created a learning community that convenes virtually on a bimonthly basis to offer a shared scriptural reflection, receive and give technical assistance and problem solve, and develop advocacy strategies. In addition to addressing the immediate needs of migrants, this work builds the capacity of diverse houses of worship allowing them to take part in wider city-run bed stabilization proposed initiatives for the future.

Our work has helped fill in the gaps in the large-scale response to the asylum seeker crisis with the grassroots power of faith leaders and communities. As one member of the network described it, the work of this grant is crucial because no single response can be comprehensive.

Asylum Seeker Shelter Program

The City of New York invites you and your congregation to participate in a city-wide program housing asylum seekers in diverse religious facilities across all five boroughs.

Mayor Adams, NYC Faith Leaders Launch Faith-Based Shelter Program for Houses of Worship to Support Asylum Seeker Response. ICNY is proud to partner with New York Disaster Interfaith Services, The Office of Faith Based and Community Partnerships, and Project Hospitality to recruit 50 Houses of Worship to serve asylum seekers across NYC. Amazing work is already being done by congregations. This is an opportunity to expand it.

Please fill out the survey linked to in the below flyers, which outline the space and safety requirements for potential sites. All sites will be compensated for their operating costs and paid an additional space usage fee.

Limited grant funds are available to install required showers and sprinkler systems in congregations that will shelter asylum seekers and then later transition to shelter New Yorkers experiencing homelessness.