2 UWS Centers For Asylum Seekers Expected To Remain 'Indefinitely'

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A pair of newly opened humanitarian relief centers serving 800 asylum seekers will remain open "indefinitely" on the Upper West Side, according to a spokesperson for Council Member Gale Brewer's office.

The centers, located at 117 W. 70th St. and 205-207 W. 85th St., are operated by NYC Health + Hospitals and provide asylum seekers with shelter, food, medical care, case work services and a range of settlement options.

Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday that the two buildings would serve as relief centers. The buildings are typically student housing for the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. With the centers expected to remain open indefinitely, the students will not be returning to these addresses in the fall.

There are also a total of 18 permanent residents within the two buildings.

Here's more information about both, as provided by a spokesperson from Brewer's office.

117 W. 70th St. (Stratford Arms)

• Opened on Tuesday
• Total number of rooms: Approximately 255
• Total capacity: Approximately 400
• Population served: Single women and couples
• Move-in will be scaled, starting with 47 rooms this week
• Number of existing permanent tenants: 10
• Building is owned by the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA)
• Will remain a HERRC indefinitely (students not returning in the fall)

205-207 W. 85th St.

• Opened on Monday
• Total number of rooms: Roughly 260
• Total capacity: Roughly 400
• Population served: Single women and couples
• Move-in will be scaled, starting with 38 rooms this week.
• Number of existing permanent tenants: 8
• Building is owned by the American Musical and Dramatic Academy
• Will remain a HERRC indefinitely (students not returning in the fall)

Over the past year, more than 74,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City, with more than 47,000 remaining in the city's care.

In response, the city has opened nearly 170 emergency shelters citywide, including nine additional large-scale humanitarian relief centers.

The Upper West Side has seen multiple emergency housing options open for asylum seekers in recent months, including in a different residence hall on West 88th Street and in the Belnord Hotel on West 87th Street.

In August, 30 families were also sent to live in an Upper West Side hotel on Central Park West.

Read More: 2 Centers For Asylum Seekers Opening On UWS: More Than 800 People